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Peter A. Santi, Ph.D. Professor, Departments of Otolaryngology and Neuroscience Director, Cochlear Anatomy Laboratory E-mail: psanti@umn.edu

Research Interests:

The overall goal of my laboratory is to minimize or prevent hearing loss by improving our understanding of the structure and function of the normal, impaired, and experimentally altered mammalian inner ear. We are developing the first Mouse Cochlea Database (MCD), which consists of 2D and 3D atlases, and a digital cytocochleogram which is an anatomical map to correlate hair cell damage with frequency-specific, hearing loss. The web page for the Mouse Cochlea Database project can be accessed at the following URL: http://mousecochlea.ccgb.umn.edu/ We are also interested in the mechanisms of cochlear damage caused by acoustic overstimulation, ototoxic drug administration, Alport's syndrome, and Meniere's disease. The mouse serves as our animal model.

The Cochlear Anatomy Laboratory is located in the Lions Research Building. Our research methods include: immunohistochemistry, thin-sheet, laser optical tomography, confocal, light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy.

Selected Publications:

Zehnder AF, Adams JC, Santi PA, Kristiansen AG, Wacharasindhu C, Mann S, Kalluri R, Gregory MC, Kashtan CE, Merchant SN. Distribution of type IV collagen in the cochlea in Alport syndrome. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005 Nov;131(11):1007-13.

Santi, P. A., Blair, A., Bohne, B.A., Lukkes, J. and Nietfeld, J. 2004, The Digital Cytocochleogram,  Hearing Res., 192: 75-82.

Merchant, S., B.J. Burgess, J.C. Adams, C. E. Kashtan, M.C. Gregory, P. A. Santi , R. Colvin, B. Collins , J. B. Nadol, 2004, Temporal Bone Histopathology in Alport Syndrome, Laryngoscope 11 4: 1609-18.