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Brad Walters, PhD

Bradley Walters.jpgAssistant Professor
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences
Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences
(601) 984-1656
Email

Education

  • BS - Eberly College of Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (1997-2001), Pre-medicine
  • PhD - Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA (2005-10), Integrative Biology with a research focus in Neuroscience

Postdoctoral training

  • Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (2010-16)

Research interests

Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most common long-term disabilities not only in Mississippi, but throughout the world. It has been estimated that as many as 1 in 5 adults under the age of 65, and more than 50% of adults over the age of 75 suffer a significant level of hearing loss. To better understand how to prevent and treat sensorineural hearing loss, our lab examines the sensory cells of the inner ear at the molecular and cellular levels. Using genetic engineering approaches we have been able to identify genes that are important in the development of the ear and genes that are critical for initiating the regeneration of auditory cells. We are continuing to investigate the processes of development and regeneration which will not only enrich our understanding of the inner ear as a whole, but will hopefully provide a means for rehabilitating the hearing of those individuals with sensorineural hearing loss who wish to have function restored.  

Publications

*last four years

  • Walters, B.J., Cox, B.C. (2019), Approaches for the study of epigenetic modifications in the inner ear and related tissues. Hearing Research, Jan 12, S0378-5955(18)30435-0
  • Walters, B.J., Coak, E., Dearman, J., Bailey, G., Yamashita, T., Kuo, B., Zuo, J. (2017), In vivo interplay of p27Kip1, GATA3, ATOH1, and POU4F3 converts nonsensory cells to hair cells in adult mice. Cell Reports, Apr 11, 19(2):307-320
  • Walters, B.J., Diao, S., Zheng, F., Walters, B.J., Layman, W., Zuo, J. (2015), Pseudo-immortalization of postnatal cochlear progenitor cells yields a scalable cell line capable of transcriptionally regulating mature hair cell genes. Scientific Reports, 5: 17792.
  • Walters, B.J., Yamashita, T., Zuo, J. (2015), Sox2-CreER mice provide a useful model for fate mapping of mature, but not neonatal, cochlear supporting cells in hair cell regeneration studies. Scientific Reports, 5:11621.
  • Walters, B.J., Zuo, J. (2015), An inducible Sox10-rtTA mouse line for gene manipulation and fate mapping in the auditory and balance organs of the inner ear. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol.16(3):331-45.  Cover Image

Patents

  • Methods and Compositions of p27Kip1 Transcriptional Modulators. (2016) Zuo, J., Chen, T., Walters, B., Kuo, B., Walters, B.J., patent U.S. #20160030445, #WO2014145205 A2

Funding

  • NIH (NIDCD) R01DC016365, NIH (NIDCD) R01DC016365-S1,Office of Naval Research N00014-18-1-2716, The American Otological Society