Research Overview

The Renauld Lab investigates how the inner ear develops, functions, and responds to stress and disease. the developmental biology of the stria vascularis, a critical epithelial structure responsible for maintaining the ionic environment required for hearing. We are particularly interested in how neural crest-derived cells migrate and differentiate to form the stria vascularis, and how disruptions in these processes contribute to congenital hearing loss, such as in Waardenburg syndrome.

Current Questions We’re Exploring:

• What are the mechanisms underlying Ménière’s disease, a chronic and poorly understood disorder affecting hearing and balance? Learn more

• What is the developmental biology of the stria vascularis, a critical epithelial structure responsible for maintaining the ionic environment required for hearing? Learn more

• Methods We Use:

• Functional testing of auditory and vestibular systems (ABR, DPOAE, VsEP)

• Inner ear physiology techniques, including endocochlear potential (EP) and ion concentration recordings

• Lineage tracing and conditional knockout models to study cell fate and gene function during development and disease progression

• Molecular and cellular profiling (immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, single-cell RNA sequencing)

• Advanced imaging and histology (confocal microscopy, immunostaining, RNAscope, and proximity ligation assay)

Why It Matters

Through this integrated strategy, we aim to identify key developmental and pathological pathways that underlie inner ear disorders and contribute to the development of targeted therapies for both congenital and acquired forms of hearing and balance dysfunction..