Zhengquan Tang, Ph.D.

Meet the Researcher

Zhengquan Tang, Ph.D. received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2007. Tang began a postdoctoral position in the laboratory of Dr. Yong Lu at Northeast Ohio Medical University, OH. Tang began a second postdoctoral position in the laboratory of Dr. Laurence Trussell at Oregon Health & Science University.

The Research

Oregon Health & Science University
Hyperexcitability dependent on Neuromodulatory state in the cochlear nucleus

Tinnitus affects approximately 50 million people in the USA, and millions more worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying tinnitus are poorly understood. The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), one of the first stations of the ascending auditory pathway, receives dense serotonergic input. Recent evidence indicates that the DCN may be a site of central tinnitus, and it is possible that serotonin might play a role in the generation or modulation of central tinnitus. Moreover, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) typically used as antidepressants in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, have been explored as a treatment for tinnitus. The goal of this research is to identify the cellular targets of serotonin and SSRIs in the DCN and understand their functional roles. The ultimate goals of this research are to understand how serotonin influences the output of the DCN, and whether serotonin may have a role in tinnitus.

Research area: Tinnitus

Long-term goal of research: To understand how different neuromodulators control the neural activity in the central auditory system and their role in pathological auditory processing.