David Corey, Ph.D.

David Corey, PhD

Bertarelli Professor of Translational Medical Science
Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School

Email: david_corey@hms.harvard.edu
Website: Corey Lab website – more information about David Corey’s research (opens in a new tab)

The Aim

The Corey Laboratory studies how the inner ear turns sound into neural signals, and is translating their findings into gene therapy for hereditary hearing loss.

The Impact

At the heart of our ability to hear is a remarkable mechanical feat: when sound waves reach the inner ear, tiny hair‑like structures bend, opening microscopic channels that produce electrical signals the brain interprets as sound. Our laboratory has spent decades uncovering the molecular basis of this process. Mutations in the genes encoding these proteins can cause hereditary deafness, as in Usher syndrome, in which hearing loss is accompanied by blindness. Building on this molecular understanding, we are now developing gene therapy strategies with the potential to restore hearing and vision in people affected by these disorders.

A Closer Look

Image descriptions

Inner ear hair‑cell bundles image: Tiny hair‑cell bundles in the inner ear, shown in a colorized scanning electron microscope image, are essential for hearing and balance. In the cochlea, the protein TMC1 sits atop each cilium of a bundle. Image credit: John Assad and David Corey.

Retina gene therapy image: An experimental gene therapy raised levels of the key protein protocadherin‑15, shown in green, in light‑sensing cells in the retinas of nonhuman primates. Image credit: Maryna Ivanchenko.