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James C. Saunders, Ph.D.

Emeritus Professor of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
Department: Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery

Contact information
5 Silverstein,ORL
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4293
Office: (215) 898-7504
Fax: (215) 898-7504
Education:
B.A. (Psychology)
Ohio Wesleyan University , 1963.
M.A. (Experimental Psychology)
Connecticut College , 1965.
M.A. (Experimental Psychology)
Princeton University , 1967.
Ph.D.
Princeton University, 1968.
Post-Graduate Training
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Auditory Research Laboratory , Princeton University, 1968-1969.
Summer Fellowship Department of Physiology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, 1970-.
Fellow , American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellow Stockholm, Sweden, 1984-1985.
Visiting Scientist Fellowship, Swedish Medical Research Council Stockholm, Sweden, 1984-1985.
Visiting Professor, Victor Segalen University of Bordeaux 2, 2003-2004.
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Description of Research Expertise

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Auditory neurobiology; auditory development; cochlear and hair cell micromechanics and transduction; peripheral and central auditory nervous system signal processing; hair cell injury repair and regeneration; the consequences of intense sound on hearing

KEY WORDS:
auditory research; hair cell transduction; neural coding of sounds

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
In vitro hair cell analysis; single cell analysis in peripheral and central auditory nuclei; electron microscopy; systems analysis; laser interferometry; neuroanatomical analysis

RESEARCH SUMMARY
Current projects in the auditory research laboratory are concerned with auditory development and aging; hair cell transduction; hair cell regeneration; and peripheral neural coding of soung. Laser interferometry is used to examine the development of the middle-ear system and this is related to the overall process of hearing maturation and aging. In vitro stimulation of the sensory hairs on hair cells is used to study the process of transduction with patch clamping, video imaging, and opto-electrical signal processing. We are currently examining the processes that lead to hair-cell damage and destruction and are exploring various interventions to prevent hair-cell injury or accelerate hair-cell repair. Other studies are recording single cell responses in the auditory nerve of the chick to follow the recovery of function after exposure to intense sound. Finally, we are examining discharge patterns in the auditory nerve as related to adaptation, and relating this to synaptic processes at the hair cell.

Selected Publications

Kurian, R., Krupp, N.L., and Saunders, J.C.: Tip-link loss and recovery on chick short hair cells following intense exposure to sound. Hearing Research, 2003, 181, 40-50. 2003.

Saunders, J.C., Venttuolo, C.E., Plontke, S.K.-R., and Weiss, B.C. : The coding of sound intensity in the chick cochlear nerve. J. Neurophysiology 88: 2887-98, 2002.

Werner, Y.L., Igic, P., Katz, G. and Saunders, J.C.: Effects of age and size in the ears of gekkomorp lizards. J. Exp. Biol. 205: 3215-23, 2002.

Werner, Y. L., Igic, P. G., Katz, M. & Saunders, J. C.: Effects of age and size in the ears of gekkomorph lizards: Middle-ear Sensitivity. Journal of Experimental Biology 205: 3215-3223, 2002.

Saunders, J. C., Ventetuolo, C. E., Plontke, S. K.-R. & Weiss, B. C.: The coding of sound intensity in the chick cochlear nerve. Journal of Neurophysiology 88: 2887-2898, 2002.

Duncan, R.K. and Saunders, J.C. : Stereocilia injury mediates hair bundle stiffness loss and recovery following intense water-jet stimulation. J. Comp. Physiol. A 186: 1095-1106, 2001.

Eisen, M.D., Spassova, M., Saunders, J. C. & Parsons, T. D.: Chick cochlear hair cell exocytosis mediated by dehydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels. Journal of Physiology 535: 689-69, 2001.

Saunders, J. C., Sonalkar, S. R. & King, E. A.: The analysis of sound by the ear. Journal of Natural Philosophy,(www.naturalphilosophy.org). 1: 1-9, 2001.

Saunders, J.C., Sonalkar, S. R & King, E. A.: The analysis of sound by the ear. Reprinted in Frontier Perspectives 10: 16-22, 2001.

Chinpairoj, S., Feldman, M., Saunders, J. C. & Thaler, E.: A comparison of monopolar electrosurgery to a new multipolar electrosurgical system in a rat. The Laryngoscope 111: 213-217, 2001.

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Last updated: 02/12/2008
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