Donald Wong, PhD
Associate Professor Emeritus of Anatomy & Cell Biology
Associate Professor Emeritus of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
Associate Professor Emeritus of Neurology
- Phone
- (317) 274-2788
- Address
-
GH 4700
ANAT
IN
Indianapolis, IN - PubMed:
Bio
Education and Former Affiliations
- Cornell University, BS, 1973
- Columbia University, MA, 1977
- Columbia University, M. Phil., 1979
- Columbia University, PhD, 1981
- Washington University, Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1981-1984
Academic Appointments
- 1994 (July)* - present Associate Professor of Anatomy (primary appointment) Associate Professor of Otolaryngology & Head-Neck Surgery
- 1984-1994 - Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Indiana University School of Medicine at Indianapolis (**tenured July 1, 1991)
- 1989-1994 - Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology & Head-Neck Surgery
- 1981-84 - Postdoctoral training in auditory neurophysio-logy under Dr. Nobuo Suga at Washington University. Complex-sound processing of neurons at higher centers of auditory pathway.
- 1977-81 - Ph.D. training in neurobiology under Dr. James P. Kelly at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Laminar connections of cat primary auditory cortex.
- 1975-76 - Graduate research training under Dr. Sid Gilman at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Collateral sprouting in the central nervous system; multiunit recording and neurologic testing.
- 1973-75 - Research with Dr. Ernest W. April at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons.. structural studies of single muscle fibers using x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy.
Year | Degree | Institution |
---|---|---|
1981 | PhD | Columbia University |
1979 | MPHIL | Columbia University |
1976 | MA | Columbia University |
1973 | BS | Cornell University |
A central interest of our research is to understand how the brain processes complex sounds in generating auditory perception. Extracellular single-unit recording is used to analyze the functional organization of the mammalian auditory cortex. Neuroanatomical tract-tracing is employed to determine the anatomical connections of physiologically-identified regions. A computational neuroscience approach is further used to model single neurons with artificial neural-networks and signal-processing techniques.
A second area of research is directed at plasticity in the central auditory pathway. The auditory nerve of drug-deafened animals is electrically stimulated to mimic the clinical condition found in profoundly-deaf patients surgically implanted with cochlear prostheses. "Artificial" nerve stimulation in deafened animals will be evaluated for its potential to reverse nerve degeneration and induce functional reorganization.
A third area will use positron-emission tomography (PET) to image the human cerebral cortex, and compare regions activated by speech in both normal-hearing and profoundly-deaf patients fitted with different prosthetic devices.
Desc: Trustee Teaching Award
Scope: University
Date: 2017-05-01
Desc: Trustee Teaching Award
Scope: University
Date: 2006-05-01
Desc: Trustee Teaching Award
Scope: University
Date: 2003-05-01
Desc: Trustee Teaching Award
Scope: University
Date: 2002-05-01