Fowler Memorial Laboratory

Department of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
630 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032

Phone: (212) 305-3993
Fax: (212) 305-4045

Present Research: Acoustics and Mechanics of the External, Middle, and Inner Ear

1. Role of the external ear and tympanic membrane in reception of the acoustical signals. Study of tympanic membrane vibrations with time averaged holography.
2. Function of the middle ear.
3. Function of the inner ear at the cellular level.
4. Micro-mechanics of the inner ear.
5. Coding of the auditory signal in the neural spike train.
6. Development and application of non invasive optical tools for visualization of the sensory cells and structures and measurement of their vibrations at sub nanometer levels:
7. Heterodyne interferometer for measurement of cellular vibration in the inner ear
8. Development of an optical sectioning microscope to visualize cellular details of the inner ear.