Research in the Saowanee Ngamruengphong Lab focuses on methods for diagnosing and managing gastrointestinal conditions, including premalignant and malignant lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, esophageal cancer, colon polyps, and biliary and pancreatic disease. Our most recent work includes investigating a novel hybrid technique for closure of refractory gastrocutaneous fistula. We also conducted an international multicenter study that compared endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic duct drainage with enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde pancreatography following Whipple surgery.

The Jonathan Walsh Lab is currently researching longitudinal trends of diagnostic and procedural utilization in pediatric patients with head and neck complaints.

Research in the Glowatzki Lab focuses on the auditory system, with a particular focus on synaptic transmission in the inner ear. Our lab is using dendritic patch clamp recordings to examine mechanisms of synaptic transmission at this first, critical synapse in the auditory pathway. With this technique, we can diagnose the molecular mechanisms of transmitter release at uniquely high resolution (this is the sole input to each afferent neuron), and relate them directly to the rich knowledge base of auditory signaling by single afferent neurons. We study pre- and post-synaptic mechanisms that determine auditory nerve fiber properties. This approach will help to study general principles of synaptic transmission and specifically to identify the molecular substrates for inherited auditory neuropathies and other cochlear dysfunctions.

The lab’s assets include three MRI systems available for pediatric studies, cardiac imaging processing, cardiovascular imaging and therapeutic ultrasound. A robust echocardiogram program conducts 10,000 transthoracic echocardiograms and 1,300 fetal echocardiograms per year, and maintains a database with 10 years of data.

The Aliaksei Pustavoitau Lab conducts research on models and mechanisms of impaired consciousness in patients who have suffered acute brain injury. Examples of our work include a study on the mechanisms of neurologic failure in critical illness and another on the use of intensivist-driven ultrasound at the PICU bedside. We also have a longstanding interest in patient safety and quality of care in the ICU setting.

Research in the John Matthew Austin Lab explores health care performance measures, with a goal of improving patient care by enabling healthcare providers to view data about their performance, track patient outcomes and comply with best care practices. Our lab is currently working to develop performance measures for the ICU part, and we are part of The Leapfrog Group, an annual survey of U.S. hospitals that compares hospital performance on national measures of safety, quality and efficiency. Our research also explores the use of scientifically sound decision-support tools for guiding improvements in healthcare delivery systems.

Research in the Janet Record Lab focuses on medical education and patient-centered care. We’re currently developing a curriculum for internal medicine residents in the inpatient general medicine service setting. The curriculum teaches residents to use hand-carried ultrasound for imaging the inferior vena cava to assess volume status.

Our laboratory investigates the neural bases of sound processing in the human brain. We combine electrophysiology recordings (intracranial, scalp), behavioral paradigms, and statistical modeling methods to study the cortical dynamics of normal and impaired auditory perception. We are interested in measuring and modeling variability in spatiotemporal cortical response patterns as a function of individual listening abilities and acoustic sound properties. Current studies are investigating the role of high-frequency (>30 Hz) neural oscillations in human auditory perception.

The Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute is dedicated to the study of the neural mechanisms of higher brain functions using modern neurophysiological, anatomical and computational techniques. Our researchers use various approaches to understand information processing and its influence on perception, memory, abstract thought, complex behavior and consciousness. Systems and cognitive laboratories use neurophysiology, brain imaging and psychophysics to develop a quantitative, network-level understanding of cognitive information processing. Other researchers use analytical approaches such as system identification, dimensionality reduction, information theory and network modeling to understand information processing. Other areas of research in the Institute include the study of how visual and tactile information processing leads to perception and understanding of two- and three-dimensional objects. Another focus is on neural processing and recognition of speech and other complex sounds. Still other laboratories study neural mechanisms of attention, memory formation, motor learning, decision-making and executive control of behavior.

Auditory hair cells, located in the inner ear cochlea, are critical for our ability to detect sound. Research in Dr. Doetzlhofer's laboratory focuses on ways to identify and characterize the molecular mechanisms of hair cell development in the mammalian auditory system. She is also seeking to identify the molecular roadblocks preventing mammalian hair cell regeneration.