GOODRICH LAB
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Principal Investigator
Lisa Goodrich

Postdoctoral Fellows

Evelyn Avilés
Brikha Shrestha
Austen Sitko
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Graduate Students 
Chester Chia
Michelle Frank

Undergraduate Students 
Sophia Gunzburg

​Ashish Dahal
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Staff
Evan Hale 

​Sadie Schlabach
Lorna Wu

Former Lab Members
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Chester Chia
Graduate Student, Program in Neuroscience

BA in Neuroscience, Rutgers University

email: ChesterChia@fas.harvard.edu


Research Interests:
Spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) are key mediators of the sense of hearing; through them, sound information is transferred from hair cells to higher-level processing centers in the CNS.  Recent studies have shown that SGNs may be the primary cellular target for both age-related and noise-induced hearing loss. In fact, although hair cells often recover after an acoustic insult, loud noises damage SGN processes, inducing them to retract and undergo a long, slow process of degeneration. Identifying the pathways that keep SGNs alive would offer a new window of opportunity for diminishing the long term effects of noise exposure.

Our lab has identified the zinc-finger transcription factor Gata3 as a potential regulator of protective genes that promote SGN survival during development and throughout life. Through the use of Gata3 conditional knock-outs, in-vitro survival assays, and imaging techniques, I aim to investigate how the connectivity and overall health of SGNs are maintained through a lifetime of activity.

Fun Facts:
​
What superpower do you wish you had?
The power of persuasion

​Which historical figure would you like to have dinner with, and what would you ask?
Kaiser Wilhelm II: 'Was it worth it?'
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