Welcome to our summer students 2025-2026!!

Each summer, the Translational Ear Physiology Team aims to host undergraduate summer students, and we are delighted to welcome three students for this year’s programme.

We are excited to host Sherlly Christine (University of Auckland Summer Research Scholarship), Alizée Fisher (University of Auckland Summer Research Scholarship), and Jude Anderson (Te Titoki Mataora Pacific Summer Studentship Scholarship). Summer studentships are a fantastic way for undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience in research, learn how a lab team works day to day, and contribute to projects that support our wider goals in hearing and inner ear biology.

All three students will be embedded in team-based research projects at the University of Auckland. Sherlly’s project focuses on the cochlear aqueduct, including identifying and characterising this structure. Alizée’s project will explore the shape and anatomical features of the oval window. Jude’s project will focus on strengthening how we communicate with and consult Pacific communities, in collaboration with Dr Michelle Pokorny (Counties Manukau), to help ensure our future biomedical research is relevant, respectful, and connected to community priorities.

We are proud to support these students as they build research skills, confidence, and a deeper understanding of what it means to do meaningful biomedical science. Please join us in welcoming Sherlly, Alizée, and Jude to the team, and wishing them all the very best for their summer studentship projects.

TEP alumna Prakansha N. Kumar’s new first-author paper: “Expression of the P2X1 receptor remains in the type II spiral ganglion neurons in the mature rat cochlea”

We’re delighted to share a new publication led by our TEP alumna Prakansha N. Kumar , based on research from her Master of Audiology : “Expression of the P2X1 receptor remains in the type II spiral ganglion neurons in the mature rat cochlea” ( Purinergic Signalling , Brief Report, open access; published 24 January 2026 ). Article available online: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11302-026-10129-7 A special congratulations to Prakansha - this project was done during her Master of Audiology thesis project , and the paper has continued steadily through the publication process after she moved on. Seeing it now published is a real credit to Prakansha's hard work from MAud, and a fantastic example of thesis work making it into the peer-reviewed literature. From Figure 1F, Kumar et al. 2026 What the paper is about Hearing begins in the cochlea , where sound is turned into signals that travel to the brain through spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) . Most SGNs are type I...

Update: Translational Ear Physiology Blog & Facebook Live

Update: Translational Ear Physiology Blog & Facebook Live To help public visibilty and open sharing of science, we have setup a blog and facebook page for the translational ear physiology lab and team. We hope this will help us share exciting progress we are making, and celebrate the progress of science with broader audience. We hope to provide some updates, celebrations, upcoming events (e.g. open seminars, outreach or conferences we might be participating), recruitment opportunities (e.g. new postgraduate students project and scholarship opportunities when available through the University) through the blog and website. Websites: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Translational-Ear-Physiology-Lab/61581392826252/ Blog: www.earphysiology.com

Translational Ear Physiology Laboratory

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