The Mueller Laboratory

The laboratory focuses on two areas in neuroscience research.

MECHANOTRANSDUCTION AND AUDITORY PERCEPTION
We study the molecular mechanisms of auditory perception. We have cloned several components of the mechanotransduction machinery of hair cells that convert sound stimuli into electrical signals. We have also identified numerous gene mutations that cause deafness and regulate the function of the auditory system.
NEURAL STEM CELLS AND NEOCORTICAL DEVELOPMENT
We analyze the mechanisms that regulate the development and function of the mammalian neocortex. We have identified stem cell subclasses that generate subsets of neocortical projection neurons. We have also defined mechanisms by which these neurons migrate and are integration into neocortical circuits.