Prof. Andrew Crawford
Tel: +44 (0)1223 333879, Fax: +44 (0)1223 333840, E-mail: ac151@cam.ac.uk
Biophysics and Physiology of the Vertebrate Inner Ear
I am interested in the biophysics and physiology of the vertebrate inner ear , especially the cochlea. My research has focussed on the electrophysiology of cochlear hair cells with a view to understanding how they manage to respond to nanometre displacements and at frequencies of many tens of kilohertz. We are particularly interested in the motor and sensory functions of mammalian outer hair cells including the micromechanics of stereocilia and their role in both sensory transduction and force feedback. Damage to the cochlear hair cells, or the nerve fibres that supply them, is a common - maybe the most common - cause of adult hearing loss.
Recent References
Ricci AJ, Crawford AC, Fettiplace R (2003), "Tonotopic variations in conductance of the hair cell mechanotransducer channel", Neuron 40:983-990.
Kennedy HL, Crawford AC, Fettiplace R (2005), "Force generation by mammalian hair bundles supports a role in cochlear amplification", Nature 433:880-883.
Kennedy HL, Evans MG, Crawford AC, Fettiplace R (2006), "Depolarization of cochlear outer hair cells evokes active hair bundle motion by two mechanisms", J Neuroscience 26:2757-2766.