Dr Stuart Johnson

School of Biosciences

Lecturer

s.johnson@sheffield.ac.uk

Alfred Denny Building

Full contact details

Dr Stuart Johnson
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN

Profile

2011-present: Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Sheffield, UK.
2009-2011: RNID Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Sheffield, UK.
2006-2009: Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Sheffield, UK.
2003-2005: MRC Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Sussex, UK.
1998-2003: D.Phil, University of Sussex, UK.
1995-1998: BSc Hons Biological Sciences (Animal Physiology), University of Leicester, UK.

Research interests

Signalling characteristics of cochlear hair cells.

Auditory neuroscience, sensory coding, synaptic transmission

Mammalian cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) are the primary sensory cells of the auditory pathway. Their job is to convert sound vibrations into an electrical signal that can be interpreted by the brain. As such, it is vital that the information encoded by IHCs is accurately preserved at this initial stage. One of the major causes of deafness/hearing loss is associated with IHCs losing their ability to function normally.

The aim of my research is to find out how IHCs are able to accurately encode sounds over a wide frequency and intensity range and how the information is processed on its way to the brain. Knowledge of how the ear processes sound will be informative to develop improved hearing aids, including cochlear implants. An additional aspect of my research applies directly to define how stem cells are able to replace damaged nerve fibres in order to restore hearing (in collaboration with Prof Marcelo Rivolta).

In order to achieve this I will study IHCs in the isolated cochlea using a combination of electrophysiological, cell imaging and molecular biological techniques.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Featured publications

Journal articles

Johnson SL, Olt J, Cho S, von Gersdorff H & Marcotti W (2017) The coupling between Ca2+ channels and the exocytotic Ca2+ sensor at hair cell ribbon synapses varies tonotopically along the mature cochlea.. Journal of Neuroscience. View this article in WRRO
Johnson SL, Ceriani F, Houston O, Polishchuk R, Polishchuk E, Crispino G, Zorzi V, Mammano F & Marcotti W (2017) Connexin-Mediated Signaling in Nonsensory Cells Is Crucial for the Development of Sensory Inner Hair Cells in the Mouse Cochlea. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(2), 258-268. View this article in WRRO
Johnson SL (2015) Membrane properties specialize mammalian inner hair cells for frequency or intensity encoding. eLife, 4. View this article in WRRO
Corns LF, Johnson SL, Kros CJ & Marcotti W (2014) Calcium entry into stereocilia drives adaptation of the mechanoelectrical transducer current of mammalian cochlear hair cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(41), 14918-14923.
Furness DN, Johnson SL, Manor U, Rüttiger L, Tocchetti A, Offenhauser N, Olt J, Goodyear RJ, Vijayakumar S, Dai Y , Hackney CM et al (2013) Progressive hearing loss and gradual deterioration of sensory hair bundles in the ears of mice lacking the actin-binding protein Eps8L2.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110(34), 13898-13903.
Johnson SL, Kuhn S, Franz C, Ingham N, Furness DN, Knipper M, Steel KP, Adelman JP, Holley MC & Marcotti W (2013) Presynaptic maturation in auditory hair cells requires a critical period of sensory-independent spiking activity.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110(21), 8720-8725.
Chen W, Jongkamonwiwat N, Abbas L, Eshtan SJ, Johnson SL, Kuhn S, Milo M, Thurlow JK, Andrews PW, Marcotti W , Moore HD et al (2012) Restoration of auditory evoked responses by human ES-cell-derived otic progenitors.. Nature, 490(7419), 278-282.
Johnson SL, Kennedy HJ, Holley MC, Fettiplace R & Marcotti W (2012) The resting transducer current drives spontaneous activity in prehearing mammalian cochlear inner hair cells.. J Neurosci, 32(31), 10479-10483.
Johnson SL, Beurg M, Marcotti W & Fettiplace R (2011) Prestin-driven cochlear amplification is not limited by the outer hair cell membrane time constant.. Neuron, 70(6), 1143-1154.
Johnson SL, Eckrich T, Kuhn S, Zampini V, Franz C, Ranatunga KM, Roberts TP, Masetto S, Knipper M, Kros CJ & Marcotti W (2011) Position-dependent patterning of spontaneous action potentials in immature cochlear inner hair cells.. Nature Neuroscience, 14(6), 711-717.
Johnson SL, Franz C, Kuhn S, Furness DN, Rüttiger L, Münkner S, Rivolta MN, Seward EP, Herschman HR, Engel J , Knipper M et al (2010) Synaptotagmin IV determines the linear Ca2+ dependence of vesicle fusion at auditory ribbon synapses.. Nat Neurosci, 13(1), 45-52.

All publications

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Research group

Collaborations

Henrique von Gersdorff (Vollum Institute, USA)
Robert Fettiplace FRS (Wisconsin, USA)
Marcelo Rivolta (Sheffield)

Grants

The Royal Society
Action on Hearing Loss

Teaching activities

Undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules

Undergraduate:

BMS248 Neural Circuits, Behaviour & Memory
BMS335 Sensory Neuroscience
Level 3 Practical and Dissertation Modules

Masters (MSc)

BMS6335 Sensory Neuroscience

Professional activities and memberships

Invited seminars

Sandbjerg Meeting on Membrane Transport, Denmark (2015)

Awards

Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2011)