Steven Green

Steven Green is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where he leads the Green Lab investigating neurodegeneration, neural regeneration, and neuroimmune interactions in the mammalian cochlea. His research has significant implications for understanding and treating hearing loss, particularly in developing therapeutic interventions to protect or regenerate auditory neurons following trauma.

Education:

• PhD, California Institute of Technology

Dr. Green's research program focuses on the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in the peripheral auditory system, particularly how hair cell damage leads to spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) death through inflammatory and immune responses. His lab investigates noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy (NICS), commonly known as "hidden hearing loss," which occurs without profound hearing impairment but causes difficulties in speech comprehension in noisy environments. The Green Lab has identified that noise causes increased glutamate release leading to calcium influx through Ca²⁺-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs), and has developed selective blockers to prevent this damage. They also study strategies for promoting synapse regeneration using small-molecule compounds that can be delivered systemically, and have discovered sex differences in recovery involving progesterone mechanisms.

Analysis of Dr. Green's recent publications reveals a strong trajectory from basic mechanisms of auditory neurodegeneration toward translational applications. His work spans immunology, molecular neuroscience, and pharmacology with consistent focus on neuroinflammation, calcium-mediated excitotoxicity, and neural regeneration pathways. The research demonstrates progression from identifying fundamental pathological mechanisms to developing targeted therapeutic interventions, with increasing emphasis on sex differences and regenerative approaches in recent years.

Research Funding:

• Grants from the NIH/National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
• Hearing Restoration Research Program of the Department of Defense

The Green Lab employs transgenic rat and mouse models to investigate neuroimmune interactions in the cochlea. Current projects include identifying specific immune components responsible for SGN death, developing novel CP-AMPAR blockers for preventing noise damage, investigating small-molecule approaches for synapse regeneration, and exploring the role of progesterone in female recovery from auditory trauma. The lab's work bridges basic neuroscience with clinical applications for hearing disorders, with particular relevance to military personnel exposed to occupational noise and patients receiving cochlear implants.