Robert D. Frisina, Ph.D.

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MAJOR FOCUS:

Determination of Brain Mechanisms Responsible for Encoding of Speech and Complex Sounds in Young and Aged – Towards Therapeutic Interventions.

FACETS OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAM:

A) Biomedical Engineering, Neurophysiological, Molecular, Genetic and Neuroanatomical Investigation of Biological Bases of Presbycusis. Multidisciplinary Program Project in collaboration with twelve other faculty at the University of Rochester, Departments of Neurobiology & Anatomy and Brain & Cognitive Sciences, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Biological Sciences Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Funded with NIH Program Project Grant, and 5- year NIH K Award.

B) Development of microelectronic and bioengineering approaches to calibrated and sustained drug and biotherapeutic compound delivery, in collaboration with Drs. David Borkholder and Lynn Fuller, Rochester Institute of Technology. Funded with NIH 5-year K Award.

C) Neurophysiological Encoding of Speech and Biologically Relevant Sound Features by the Auditory Nervous System, investigated using biomedical engineering techniques. Funded with NIH Program Project, listed above.

D) Functional Neuroanatomical Organization of the Auditory System, including effects of hormones and sex differences, investigated with advanced neuroimaging and other neuroscientific and human perceptual techniques. In collaboration with Dr. Barbara Canlon, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Funded with NIH Program Project, listed above.

SELECTED CURRENT GRANTS

NIH – NIDCD; Grant#: R01 DC009395-0

Project Title: "Hearing Impairment in HIV/AIDS"

PI: Amneris Luque, M.D. – University of Rochester Medical School

Co-PI: Robert Frisina, Ph.D.

Total Funding for 5 years: $1,923,380 Inclusive Dates: 7/01/09 – 6/30/14

Aims: Characterize the nature and extent of hearing impairment in HIV/AIDS patients, including longitudinal changes with different treatment regimes, and possible sensory improvement with effective treatments.

NIH – NIDCD; Core Center Grant#: P30 DC005409-06

Project Title: "Center for Navigation & Communication Sciences"

PI: Gary Paige, M.D., Ph.D. – University of Rochester Medical School

Core Leader: Robert Frisina, Ph.D.

Co-I: Joseph Walton, Ph.D.

Co-I: David Eddins, Ph.D.

Total Funding for 2nd 5 years: $2,000,000 Inclusive Dates: 7/01/08 – 6/30/13

Aims: This Core Center Grant allows investigators to efficiently share costly, time consuming, essential but cumbersome, and in many cases innovative research services, in the areas of human subject recruiting, scheduling and screening, and in other technical areas such as computer system and database development.

NIH – NIA; Grant #: P01 AG09524-15

Project Title: "Aging Auditory System: Presbycusis & its Neural Bases"

P.I.: D. Robert Frisina, Ph.D. – NTID, Rochester Institute of Technology

Co-Director and P.D.: Robert D. Frisina, Ph.D.

C.D.: William O'Neill, Ph.D.

P.D.: James Ison, Ph.D.

P.D.: Joseph Walton, Ph.D.

Total Costs: $13,500,000 Inclusive Dates: 6/1/91 – 4/30/10

Aims: Determine and characterize the neural and molecular bases of age-related hearing loss in humans and animal models.

Current Appointments

• Professor - Department of Otolaryngology (SMD)
• Professor - Department of Biomedical Engineering (SMD)
• Professor - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy (SMD)

Education
PhD Neuroscience, Bioengineering	Syracuse University	1983
BA Experimental Psychology, Economics	Hamilton College	1977

Fellowship Awards
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at the Center for Brain Research, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry	1983 - 1985
Honorary Syracuse University Graduate Fellow	1978 - 1981
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow in Physiology	1978 - 1981
Syracuse University Graduate Fellowship	1978 - 1979

Recent Journal Articles
Showing the 5 most recent journal articles. (60 available)
Christensen N; D'Souza M; Zhu X; Frisina RD. "Age-related hearing loss: aquaporin 4 gene expression changes in the mouse cochlea and auditory midbrain." Brain research. 2009; 1253():27-34. Epub 2008 Dec 03.
Price K; Zhu X; Guimaraes PF; Vasilyeva ON; Frisina RD. "Hormone replacement therapy diminishes hearing in peri-menopausal mice." Hearing research. 2009; 252(1-2):29-36. Epub 2009 Mar 06.
Vasilyeva ON; Frisina ST; Zhu X; Walton JP; Frisina RD. "Interactions of hearing loss and diabetes mellitus in the middle age CBA/CaJ mouse model of presbycusis." Hearing research. 2009; 249(1-2):44-53.
Canlon B; Frisina RD. "Sex hormones and hearing: a pioneering area of enquiry." Hearing research. 2009; 252(1-2):1-2.
Frisina RD. "Age-related hearing loss: ear and brain mechanisms." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2009; 1170():708-17.