Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) awarded The Johns Hopkins University a Project Grant totaling $687,094 on February 23, 2026, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173). The research project, titled "Mechanisms of Hair Cell Mechanotransduction," will be conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, and is scheduled for completion by January 31, 2031. The grant supports fundamental scientific investigation into how mechanical force regulates the mechanotransduction complex in hair cells of the inner ear, with particular focus on identifying protein interactions and structural mechanisms underlying hearing function.

The project will deliver research findings through a combination of genetically modified animal models, biochemical analysis, cell biological methods, and electrophysiological studies designed to elucidate how proteins linked to deafness—including TMIE, LHFPL5, TMC1/2, and CIB2—assemble and function within the mechanotransduction channel complex. The research aims to advance understanding of the molecular defects that cause hearing loss and may inform future therapeutic interventions for deafness and communication disorders. Anticipated deliverables include peer-reviewed publications, structural and mechanistic data regarding mechanotransduction machinery, and scientific findings that advance basic knowledge of sensory hair cell biology.