Dr. Kelvin Kwan Receives NIDCD R01 Grant to Study Epigenetic Mechanisms of Cochlear Damage and Repair

Dr. Kelvin Kwan, BHI member and Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at the School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers–New Brunswick, has received an R01 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders for his project “Epigenetic Mechanisms of Cochlear Damage and Repair.”

This research investigates CHD4, a chromatin-remodeling protein expressed in cochlear hair cells and supporting cells, in maintaining cell identity and preventing degeneration. By uncovering how CHD4 influences gene regulation, chromatin accessibility, and DNA methylation, the project aims to provide new insights into hair cell maintenance and regeneration, which could be employed to treat a wide spectrum of hearing loss.

The Kwan Lab is dedicated to understanding cochlear hair cell and spiral ganglion neuron regeneration using advanced techniques such as super-resolution imaging and single-cell sequencing. Current studies focus on the molecular role of chromodomain helicase DNA-binding proteins in organizing the 3D genome during spiral ganglion neuron differentiation.

Learn more: https://reporter.nih.gov/search/iW8UUIo6k0Kd-IoJuT61Ug/project-details/11226549