Allison Coffin, assistant professor of neuroscience at Washington State University Vancouver, studies the cellular basis of hearing loss and is developing drugs to prevent it.
“We see these drugs being particularly useful for military personnel or people who work in noisy industrial settings, and even teenagers at loud concerts would benefit,” says Coffin. Her lab primarily studies zebrafish and their cellular responses to damage and chemicals, in efforts to further develop human treatments.
As a scientist, Coffin has two missions. The first is the subject of her research and the other is a more personal passion—to help people embrace and appreciate scientific research. In her role as the chair of Science Talk Northwest, a science communication conference taking place in January, she advocates for and encourages colleagues to share and promote their work.
You can help Dr. Coffin and her students continue this vital hearing loss research by making a gift today to the Neuroscience Development Fund:
- For $100: the Coffin Lab can test 1 protective drug with one cause of hearing loss
- For $250: you can support a student to work in the Coffin Lab for one month
- For $500: you can provide a student the funds to travel to a professional scientific conference to present their research
- For $1,000: the Coffin Lab can test multiple protective drugs and multiple causes of hearing loss
Your donation will truly help WSU Vancouver make important strides in neuroscience research.
To learn more about Dr. Coffin and her lab, visit http://dtc-wsuv.org/coffinlab/.
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