Hearing loss becomes prevalent more than ever due to the steady increase of our life expectancy (leads to the increase in age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis), and over-exposure to sound from sources like personal electronic devices (contributes to noise-induced hearing loss). The focus of our research is to investigate the neural mechanisms of hearing loss due to aging and noise trauma. We aim to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of how the auditory nervous system processes sound, and how the neural processing is disrupted under aging and noise-trauma conditions. Our research utilizes whole-cell patch clamp recording technique in acute brain slices, as well as other multidisciplinary approaches including pharmacology, immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, optogenetics and behavioral assays. Research in the lab is supported by the National Institute of Health (NIDCD).

Our other research projects aim to answer some of the fundamental questions of neuroscience: how do synapses age and how does synaptic aging contribute to neurodegenerative disease? What are the changes of mitochondrial function at the synaptic terminals during brain aging, and what are the underlying mechanisms? Our research platform enables us to pursue these questions. Various projects are being developed.

Title: Auditory nerve synaptopathy and the central mechanisms underlying noise-induced hearing loss
Dates: 07/01/2022 – 06/30/2027
Name of Agency: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Role: PI
Award Number: R01 DC020582

Title: Age-dependent plasticity of central auditory synapses
Dates: 09/01/2023 – 08/31/2028
Name of Agency: National Institute on Aging
Role: PL
Award Number: P01AG051443-6713 

Wang M, Zhang C, Lin S, Wang Y, Seicol BJ, Ariss RW, Xie R (2021). Biased auditory nerve central synaptopathy is associated with age-related hearing loss. J Physiol. 2021 Jan 15. doi: 10.1113/JP281014. 

Wu Y, Wang M, Wang Y, Yang H, Qi H, Seicol BJ, Xie R, Guo L (2020). A neuronal wiring platform through microridges for rationally engineered neural circuits. APL Bioeng. 2020 Dec 8;4(4):046106. doi: 10.1063/5.0025921. 

Wang Y, Wang M, Xie R (2019).  D-stellate neurons of the ventral cochlear nucleus decrease in auditory nerve-evoked activity during age-related hearing loss.  Brain Sci. 2019 Oct 31;9(11). doi: 10.3390/brainsci9110302. 

Manis PB, Kasten MR, Xie R (2019).  Classification of neurons in the adult mouse cochlear nucleus: Linear Discriminant Analysis.  PLoS One.  2019 Oct 3;14(10):e0223137.  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223137.

Lin S, Xie R (2019).  Principal neurons in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus express cell-type specific glycine receptor  subunits.  Neuroscience. 2019 Sep 1;415:77-88. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.07.019.

Xie R*, Manis PB (2017).  Radiate and planar multipolar neurons of the mouse anteroventral cochlear nucleus: intrinsic excitability and characterization of their auditory nerve input.  Front Neural Circuits 11:77.  doi: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00077.  (*Correspondence).

Xie R*, Manis PB (2017).  Synaptic transmission at the endbulb of Held deteriorates during age-related hearing loss.  J Physiol 2017 Feb 1; 595(3):919-934. (*Correspondence)

Xie R* (2016).  Transmission of auditory sensory information decreases in rate and temporal precision at the endbulb of Held synapse during age-related hearing loss.  J Neurophysiol. 2016; 116(6):2695-2705.  Special issue: Auditory System Plasticity. (*Correspondence)

Xie R and Manis PB (2014).  GABAergic and glycinergic inhibitory synaptic transmission in the cochlear nucleus studied in VGAT channelrhodopsin-2 mice.  Front Neural Circuits 2014 July 24;8:84.

Xie R and Manis PB (2013).  Glycinergic synaptic transmission in the cochlear nucleus of mice with normal hearing and age-related hearing loss. J Neurophysiol. 2013 Oct; 110(8): 1848-1859.

Xie R and Manis PB (2013).  Target-specific IPSC kinetics promote temporal processing in auditory parallel pathways.  J Neuroscience.  2013 January 23; 33(4): 1598-1614.  * Featured article in “This Week in The Journal”.

Rich AW, Xie R, and Manis PB (2010).  Hearing loss alters quantal release at cochlear nucleus stellate cells.  Laryngoscope. 2010 Oct; 120 (10): 2047-53.

Xie R, Gittelman JX, Li N, and Pollak GD (2008).  Whole cell recordings of intrinsic properties and sound-evoked responses from the inferior colliculus.  Neuroscience. 2008 June 12; 154(1):245-56.

Xie R, Gittelman JX, and Pollak GD (2007).  Rethinking tuning: in vivo whole cell recordings of the inferior colliculus in awake bats.  J Neuroscience. 2007 Aug 29; 27(35):9469-81.

Xie R, Meitzen J. and Pollak GD (2005).  Differing roles of inhibition in hierarchical processing of species-specific calls in auditory brainstem nuclei.  J Neurophysiol. 2005 Dec; 94(6):4019-37.

For latest publications, please check my bibliography URL:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/browse/collection/40828320/?sort=date&direction=descending

Assistant Professor, 2014 - 2018 
Department of Neurosciences
University of Toledo

Assistant Professor, 2018 - Current
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio