HASHINO-NELSON LAB

Research in the Hashino Lab is centered on recapitulating normal and pathological development of the neurosensory systems, with a major focus on the inner ear, using human pluripotent stem cells in 3D culture.  Organoids, 3D self-organizing structures derived from pluripotent stem cells, can recapitulate many aspects of structural organization and functionality of their in vivo organ counterparts, thus holding great promise for biomedical research and translational applications.  By leveraging our expertise in CRISPR/Cas9 genome technology, we are generating inner ear/brain organoids harboring disease-associated mutations, and also various reporter stem cell lines for prompt identification of specific cell lineages.  Ongoing research projects in the lab include: (1) Investigation of inner ear/neurodevelopmental disorders, (2) Elucidation of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying human inner ear development, and (3) Identification of novel chemical compounds with the potential of regenerating sensory hair cells in the human the inner ear.