Three researchers who unraveled the molecular and neural mechanisms of hearing, A. James Hudspeth, MD, PhD, Robert Fettiplace, PhD, and Christine Petit, PhD, have been awarded the 2018 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience for their pioneering work. Ole Petter Ottersen, head of the neuroscience prize committee, said these researchers have provided fundamental new insights into how the inner ear transforms sound into electrical signals and have unveiled genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying hearing loss. "Their work serves as a sterling example of how concerted efforts across disciplines and technologies can revolutionize our understanding of complex neurobiological processes," Ottersen said. Hudspeth's research provided much of the framework for understanding how sound is converted into neural signals through hair cells and their ion channels. Fettiplace showed that each hair cell in the cochlea of the inner ear is sensitive to a specific range of sound frequencies, and discovered the mechanistic basis of this. By exploring the genetics of hereditary deafness, Petit furthered our understanding of hair cell biology, and informed deafness diagnosis and counseling.
The Kavli Prize recognizes scientists for pioneering advances. Presented every two years in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience, each of three prizes consists of $1 million and a gold medal.
Published: 6/1/2018 2:33:00 PM
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