U of M Otopathology Lab to Lead Human Temporal Bone Ear Resource Network

The NIDCD Ear Resource Network comprises the laboratories at the University of Minnesota, Harvard Medical School, UCLA, Stanford Medical School, and Johns Hopkins University.

The Otopathology Laboratory in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Minnesota, was recently selected by the National Institutes of Health to serve as the coordination center for the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) human temporal bone ear resource network.

The temporal bone surrounds the ears and protects nerves and structures that control hearing and balance. Research in the area is critical to understanding the pathology and pathophysiology of hearing, balance, and facial nerve function disorders. The Otopathology Laboratory at the University of Minnesota was founded in the 1960’s by Michael Paparella, MD and it currently houses one of the three largest collections of temporal bones in the U.S.

As the coordination center, the otopathology laboratory will direct collaborative efforts geared towards improving tissue processing, study methods, and facilitating research projects among the laboratories within the Network. The NIDCD Ear Resource Network comprises the laboratories at the University of Minnesota, Harvard Medical School, UCLA, Stanford Medical School, and Johns Hopkins University. With the new network of labs, the U of MN researchers envision a broad, well-diversified, inclusive research community for temporal bone research.

The Principal Investigators of the Otopathology Laboratory (Meredith Adams, MD and Sebahattin Cureoglu, MD) will be the leaders of these efforts. The coordination center has two primary missions 1) to create an inclusive environment for all members of the Network by ensuring ample and equitable participation from all institutions, and 2) to become a "port of entry" for researchers and scientists to access the services provided by the NIDCD Network. The coordination center will also assemble courses and seminars to teach researchers, scientists, and clinicians about otopathologic investigation.

Funding for the coordination center is provided by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD/NIH) (grant numbers: 1U24DC020851-01 and 3U24DC020851-01S1). If you want to learn more about the otopathology laboratory at the University of Minnesota, visit our website (https://otopathology.umn.edu) or email us at otopathology@umn.edu.