Novel therapeutic interventions & mechanisms of injury in blast-induced hearing loss

Acute trauma resulting from explosive blast increasingly occurs in both military and civilian populations as evidenced by recent military deployments and civilian terrorist bombings. Explosive blast results in a characteristic pressure wave of high amplitude and very short duration (~ms). Blast traumatic brain injury (blast-TBI) is becoming recognised as having unique characteristics different to other types of brain trauma. TBI is characterised by a "primary injury" from the mechanical insult, followed by "secondary injury” developing minutes, hours and days later. The majority of the neurological and cognitive deficits suffered by TBI patients result from potentially preventable secondary injury. The molecular and cellular processes involved in the development of secondary injury following blast-TBI are only now beginning to be elucidated.

We have been developing animal models of blast-TBI using a shock-tube that allows blast-waves similar to those of a free-field explosion to be reproducibly generated under carefully controlled conditions in the laboratory. The aims of this PhD project are to investigate the pathophysiology of blast-TBI with specific reference to blast-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, and to determine the efficacy of novel treatments for blast-TBI & military hearing injury. The ear and the brain’s auditory processing system are very sensitive to blast exposure. Hearing loss and tinnitus resulting from military service has been recognised since the First & Second World Wars. The proportion of military personnel suffering from long-term hearing loss and other debilitating symptoms such as tinnitus is much higher than in the general population. In addition to exposure to ordinance & explosive blast, service personnel are exposed to other sources of high sound pressure levels such as aircraft noise (pilots & ground crew of land and sea based forces) and engine rooms in ships.

The project will involve in vivo assays of traumatic brain injury, tinnitus and hearing loss, together with in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology.

How to apply:

Applicants with a first or upper second class degree in a relevant discipline should send a CV, including publications if any, with contact details of three academic referees and a covering letter explaining their suitability for the position to Dr Robert Dickinson ([Email Address Removed])

For more information on the lab please see: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/r.dickinson