Benjamin J. Perrin

Benjamin J. Perrin is an Associate Professor at Indiana University studying the cell biology of age-related hearing loss. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that maintain and repair hair cells in the inner ear, which are critical for hearing and balance function.

Dr. Perrin's research spans several interconnected fields:

• Cell Biology of sensory systems
• Developmental Biology of the inner ear
• Cellular & Molecular mechanisms of hearing
• Developmental Neurobiology related to auditory function
• Cytoskeletal dynamics in specialized sensory cells

His laboratory investigates how the precise architecture of hair cell stereocilia - the actin-based protrusions essential for hearing - is maintained throughout an organism's lifespan. This research has significant implications for understanding and potentially treating age-related and noise-induced hearing loss, which affect millions of people worldwide since humans are born with approximately 20,000 of these non-renewable sensory cells.

Dr. Perrin's work centers on the regulation and remodeling of actin filaments within stereocilia, seeking to uncover fundamental cell biological processes that could inform future therapeutic approaches for hearing disorders by addressing how these stable structures are maintained over time.