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Alumini celebration page

Alumini Celebration Space from Translational Ear Physiology Team

We warmly acknowledge the students and trainees who have contributed to the ear physiology research. Below is a record of past student researchers, including thesis/project titles and supervision teams! 

Doctoral research

  • Seunga Han — PhD (Physiology) candidate — 2021–2025
    Thesis title: “Purinergic signalling in the cochlea; cross species comparison”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisors — P.R. Thorne, S.M. Vlajkovic

Master’s research

  • Alice Yu — Master of Biomedical Science student
Alice is working on a project to use optical coherence tomography (OCT) to image sheep and human cochleae. Her work includes optimising imaging protocols and supporting image analysis to improve the quality and interpretability of OCT datasets. (LinkedIn)

  • Sachini Gunasekera — Master of Audiology student
Sachini is undertaking a Master of Audiology thesis focused on characterising the sheep endolymphatic duct and endolymphatic sac, and comparing their anatomy with human structures.

  • Wanya Ansari — Master of Audiology student

Wanya’s Master of Audiology thesis focuses on imaging the capillaries that provide nutrients to auditory neurons in both sheep and human cochleae. (LinkedIn)

  • Louisa Xie — Master of Audiology — 2024–2025
    Thesis title: “3D analysis of arterial network in the sheep cochlea”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne

  • Sophia Chen — Master of Audiology — 2024–2025
    Thesis title: “Effect of ultrasound on molecular diffusion in cochlear model”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne

  • Vanshika Chinchalkar — Master of Audiology — 2024–2025
    Thesis title: “Raman spectroscopy for therapeutic compounds and inner ear bone”
    Supervisors: H. Suzuki-Kerr, C. McGoverin, P.R. Thorne

  • Suha Lee — Master of Audiology — 2023–2024
    Thesis title: “Vasculature of the adult and young sheep cochlea”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne

  • Rosie Lee — Master of Audiology — 2023–2024
    Thesis title: “Intratympanic drug delivery to the inner ear: patients’ perspective study”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne

  • Judy Lai — Master of Audiology — 2023–2024
    Thesis title: “Temporal bone tissue banking in Aotearoa New Zealand”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne

  • Ben Thomson — Master of Biomedical Science — 2023–2024
    Thesis title: “Anatomy of the human ear canal and the round window; surgical perspective”
    Supervisors: Primary — P.R. Thorne; Co-supervisors — Philip Bird (Christchurch, Te Whatu Ora), H. Suzuki-Kerr

  • Vanshika Chinchalkar — Master’s (Physiology) — 2022–2023
    Thesis title: “Optical coherence tomography to visualize the inner ear”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisors — P.R. Thorne, F. Vanholsbeeck

  • Prakansha Kumar — Master of Audiology — 2021–2022
    Research project title: “P2X receptors in the cochlea”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisor — P.R. Thorne

  • Ziyin (Silver) Huang — Master of Audiology — 2020–2021
    Research project title: “P2X4 receptor as therapeutic target for preventing hearing loss”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisors — S.M. Vlajkovic, P.R. Thorne

  • Seunga Han — Master of Biomedical Science — 2019–2020
    Research project title: “Characterization of sheep round window membrane”
    Supervisors: Primary — P.R. Thorne; Co-supervisors — S.M. Vlajkovic, H. Suzuki-Kerr

Honours research projects

  • Steven Tran — Honours (Biomedical Science) — 2024
    Thesis title: “Microanatomy of the osseous surface of ovine cochlea”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisor — P.R. Thorne

  • Hanson Chong — Honours (Physiology) — 2022
    Thesis project title: “Oval window of the sheep cochlea”
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisor — P.R. Thorne

Summer studentships

  • Alizee Fisher — Summer student (UoA, Medical programme)
    Alizee is studying the sheep stapes and stapes annular ligament. Her project examines structural features and whether junctional proteins may act as a barrier to molecules entering the cochlea via the oval window. 

  • Jude Anderson — Summer student (UoA, Medical programme; Te Tītoki Mataora). Jude is exploring community perspectives on how inner-ear basic science can be communicated, and how health information can be shared effectively with Pacific communities. He also works with  Dr Michelle Pokorny at a Counties Manukau clinic.
  • Sherlly Christine — Summer student (UoA, BSc Biomedical science). Sherlly is investigating the cochlear aqueduct—an important channel connecting the ear and brain. Her work focuses on anatomical characterisation in a sheep model. (Sherlly's LinkedIn)

  • Mystie Jacobson — Te Titoki Mataora Summer Studentship (Māori stream) — 2022–2023
    Supervisors: Joint supervision team — H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne, C. McGoverin, F. Vanholsbeeck

  • Fale’aka Bloomfield — Te Titoki Mataora Summer Studentship (Pasifika stream) — 2022–2023
    Supervisors: H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne, C. McGoverin, F. Vanholsbeeck

  • Steven Tran — FMHS Summer Studentship — 2022–2023
    Supervisors: H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne

  • Louisa Xie — FMHS Summer Studentship — 2022–2023
    Supervisors: H. Suzuki-Kerr, Matthews, P.R. Thorne

  • Naketa Philips — Te Titoki Mataora Summer Studentship (Māori stream) — 2022–2023
    Supervisors: Joint supervision team — H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne, C. McGoverin, F. Vanholsbeeck

  • Grace Tawhai — Te Titoki Mataora Summer Studentship (Māori stream) — 2021–2022
    Supervisors: Joint supervision team — H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne, M. Neeff, P. Bird

  • Senerita Pateli — Te Titoki Mataora Summer Studentship (Pasifika stream) — 2021–2022
    Supervisors: H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne, M. Neeff, P. Bird

  • Hanna Ko — FMHS Summer Studentship — 2021–2022
    Supervisors: H. Suzuki-Kerr, Davidson, P.R. Thorne

  • Kahee Cook — FMHS Summer Studentship — 2021–2022
    Supervisors: H. Suzuki-Kerr, Shim, P.R. Thorne

  • Kate Yanagisawa — Summer Studentship — 2020–2021
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisors — P.R. Thorne, Rachael Taylor

  • Amanda Li — Summer Studentship — 2020–2021
    Supervisors: Primary — Srdjan Vlajkovic; Co-supervisors — Ravi Telang, H. Suzuki-Kerr

  • Fay Abdul Ghani — Summer Studentship — 2019–2020
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisor — J. Lim

  • Kevin Roy — Summer Studentship — 2019–2020
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisor — P.R. Thorne

  • Katherine Han — Summer Studentship — 2019–2020
    Supervisors: Primary — H. Suzuki-Kerr; Co-supervisor — Paul Donaldson

  • Matthew Swantica — Summer Studentship — 2018–2019
    Supervisors: Primary — P.R. Thorne; Co-supervisor — H. Suzuki-Kerr

Research elective / short placement

  • Mary Peni — Research Elective (Bachelor of Nursing Māori student; 4-week research placement, Hauora Experience) — May 2022
    Supervisors: H. Suzuki-Kerr, P.R. Thorne

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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...
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