People
Dr. Sonja Pyott is Associate Professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands. Sonja earned her BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University. She was later a Fulbright Scholar and Max Planck Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany. Sonja went on to earn her PhD in Neuroscience from Stanford University and completed her postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Before moving to the Netherlands, Sonja was Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biology and Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Current Team
Former Members (University Medical Center Groningen)
Dr. Nick Schubert, MD PhD (former MD/PhD student and currently ENT Resident at the University Medical Center Groningen)
Dr. Daniël Reijntjes (Fomer PhD student and currently Postdoctoral Researcher at Johns Hopkins University)
Dr. Hao Feng (Former Postdoctoral Researcher and currently Assistant Professor at Jilin University)
Lukas Breitzler (Former MS Student and now PhD student at Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology)
Former Members (University of North Carolina Wilmington)
Braude, Jeremy, MS, Biology, “Postsynaptic scaffolding proteins in cochlear afferent synapses” (Fall 2012) Now completing a PhD in Molecular Sciences at the University of Padova in Italy.
Hoadley, Kenneth, MS, Biology, “Investigation of the role of cryptochromes in the synchronization of lunar reproductive cycles in the scleractinian coral Favia fragum” (Fall 2011) Now completing a PhD in Marine Biology at the University of Delaware, USA.
Byrns, Ryan, Honors in Biology, “The role of zinc signaling in the inner ear” (Spring 2013) Now completing a PA in Pennsylvania, USA.
Hardy, Laurel, Honors in Biology, “The contribution of efferent inhibition to the prehearing elimination of inner hair cell afferent synapses” (Spring 2014). Now completing a MS in Forensic Science at Marshall University, USA.
Komyathy, Jordan, Honors in Biology, “Refinement of afferent synapses in the developing organ of Corti from mice lacking the BK channel” (Spring 2013) Now completing a DDS at the University of Michigan, USA.
Laurine, Rebecca, Honors in Biology, “Postsynaptic scaffolding proteins in vestibular afferent synapses” (Spring 2013) Now completing a OD at Campbell University, USA.
Lee, Allyssa, Honors in Biology, “Localization and behavior contributions of the BK channel in the vestibular periphery” (Spring 2014)
Prestage, Kaylin, Honors in Biology, “The contribution of the BK channel to the developmental maturation of efferent and afferent outer hair cell synapses” (Spring 2014) Now completing a MS at North Carolina University at Raleigh.
Rose, Timothy, Honors in Biology, “The effects of efferent innervation on the refinement of afferent synapses in the developing mouse organ of Corti” (Spring 2012) Completed a MS in Food Technology at Denmark’s Technical University.
Pylaeva, Olga, Honors in Biology, “Distinct distribution of the sodium-potassium ATPase α3 and α1 subunits in the rat vestibular calyx terminals” (Fall 2011) Now completing MD at East Carolina University.
Halligan, Lauren, Honors in Biology, “Characterization of Thy1-driven expression of YFP-tagged channelrhodopsin-2 in the mouse inner ear” (Spring 2011) Completed training in medical illustration and is now owner of Halligan Studios.