Jong-Hoon Nam, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, has been awarded a three year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The objective of the project, entitled Multi-Scale Analysis of Mechanotransduction in the Organ of Corti, is to establish a coherent theory of how the organ of Corti (cochlear sensory epithelium) optimizes the force from the outer hair cells in order to magnify tiny vibrations of the basilar membrane.

With ME and BME professor, Sheryl Gracewski, Ph.D. as Co-PI, the research will take two innovative approaches. First, it will integrate cellular physiology and macro/micro mechanics of the cochlea. Second, computational and experimental models will be investigated in parallel to reduce the animal use while maximizing the research outcome. This will make a direct impact on understanding various hearing disorders. Besides hearing sensation, mechano-transduction plays a crucial role in other tissues such as muscle, bone and articular cartilage. Therefore, the findings of this research will advance the general understanding of mechano-sensation.

For more information please visit the Nam Lab.