Patricia Leake, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Otolaryngology
School of Medicine
Patricia A Leake, PhD, is a Professor and Director of the Saul and Ida Epstein Laboratory for Auditory Physiology and Genetics in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) at the University of California, San Francisco.
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She received her MA and PhD in neuroanatomy from the University of California, San Francisco, and this was followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the Coleman Laboratory in the Department of OHNS at UCSF.
Dr. Leake’s main research interest is in the development and safe clinical application of multichannel cochlear prostheses, with a particular focus on the plasticity elicited in the developing auditory system following early onset profound hearing loss and cochlear implantation. Research in the Saul and Ida Epstein Laboratory for Hearing Research explores the functional encoding of electrical stimulation delivered to the auditory nerve by a cochlear implant, examining the responses of ensembles of neurons within the auditory midbrain or inferior colliculus (IC).
Dr. Leake’s primary areas of research interest have been in exploring the effects of early deafness, electrical stimulation from a cochlear implant and exogenous neurotrophins on the morphology of the cochlea and cochlear nucleus, on the development of auditory nerve projections to the brainstem, and on functional alterations in the central auditory system. Most recently, this research has focused on the potential use of AAV-mediated neurotrophin gene therapy to improve auditory nerve survival after early deafness and thereby to optimize the function of a cochlear implant.
Specialty: Research in Auditory neuroscience, cochlear implants, plasticity, gene therapy
Expertise:
Professional Interests: Cochlear morphology, cochlear prostheses, auditory nerve, auditory system development, auditory system plasticity, central auditory neural pathways, cochlear spiral ganglion, cochlear nucleus, development of topographic maps, electrical stimulation, neonatal deafness, neurotrophin/neurotrophic agents, temporal processing, tonotopic organization, adeno-associated viral vector therapies
Education and Training:
- MA: University of California, San Francisco - Neuroanatomy
- PhD: University of California, San Francisco - Neuroanatomy
- Postdoctoral Fellowship: University of California, San Francisco
Awards and Honors:
- 1966 Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, OH - George J. Record Scholar
- 1970 Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, OH - Laurels Honor Society for Women
- 1970 University of California, San Francisco Department of Anatomy - Regents Scholar
- 1998 European Symposium on Paediatric Cochlear Implants - Keynote Lecturer, Netherlands
- 1998 Purdue University - Distinguished Lecturer in Neuroscience
- 2004 7th European Symposium on Paediatric Cochlear Implantation, Geneva - Keynote Lecture
- 2002 University of California, San Francisco Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery - Georgia G. Sullivan Endowed Chair in Hearing Research
- 2002 Helmholtz Instituut, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands - Helmholtz Lecturer
Education & Training
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- Ph.D. Graduate Division (Anatomy) University of California, San Francisco 1976
Grants and Projects
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- AVV-Mediated Neurotrophin Expression in the Deafened Cochlea, NIH, 2013-2018
- TAS::75 0890::TAS-REQUISITION B, NIH, 2007-2012
- Development &Connections of Cochlear Spiral Ganglion, NIH, 1980-2009
- Effects of Patterned Elec. Stim on Deafened Auditory Sys, NIH/NIDCD, 2000-2003
- Protect Effects Patterned Stim Deaf Auditory System, NIH/NIDCD, 1994-1997
- Patterned Electrical Stimulation/deafened, NIH/NIDCD, 1991-1994
- Morphology and Connections of the Spiral Ganglion, NIH, 1980-1988
Publications (25)
Top publication keywords:
DeafnessGlial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic FactorCochlear ImplantationBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorAuditory PathwaysCochlear ImplantsInferior ColliculiGenetic TherapyCochlear NerveElectric StimulationCochleaSpiral GanglionCochlear NucleusCatsTemporal Bone
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Neurotrophin gene therapy to promote survival of spiral ganglion neurons after deafness.
Hearing research 2020 Leake PA, Akil O, Lang H -
AAV-Mediated Neurotrophin Gene Therapy Promotes Improved Survival of Cochlear Spiral Ganglion Neurons in Neonatally Deafened Cats: Comparison of AAV2-hBDNF and AAV5-hGDNF.
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO 2019 Leake PA, Rebscher SJ, Dore' C, Akil O -
Virally Mediated Overexpression of Glial-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Elicits Age- and Dose-Dependent Neuronal Toxicity and Hearing Loss.
Human gene therapy 2018 Akil O, Blits B, Lustig LR, Leake PA -
Effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on the cochlear nucleus in cats deafened as neonates.
Hearing research 2016 Kandathil CK, Stakhovskaya O, Leake PA -
Passive stimulation and behavioral training differentially transform temporal processing in the inferior colliculus and primary auditory cortex.
Journal of neurophysiology 2016 Vollmer M, Beitel RE, Schreiner CE, Leake PA
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Effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and electrical stimulation on survival and function of cochlear spiral ganglion neurons in deafened, developing cats.
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO 2013 Leake PA, Stakhovskaya O, Hetherington A, Rebscher SJ, Bonham B -
Monopolar intracochlear pulse trains selectively activate the inferior colliculus.
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO 2012 Schoenecker MC, Bonham BH, Stakhovskaya OA, Snyder RL, Leake PA -
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor promotes cochlear spiral ganglion cell survival and function in deafened, developing cats.
The Journal of comparative neurology 2011 Leake PA, Hradek GT, Hetherington AM, Stakhovskaya O -
Consensus panel on a cochlear coordinate system applicable in histologic, physiologic, and radiologic studies of the human cochlea.
Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology 2010 Verbist BM, Skinner MW, Cohen LT, Leake PA, James C, Boëx C, Holden TA, Finley CC, Roland PS, Roland JT, Haller M, Patrick JF, Jolly CN, Faltys MA, Briaire JJ, Frijns JH -
Topography of auditory nerve projections to the cochlear nucleus in cats after neonatal deafness and electrical stimulation by a cochlear implant.
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO 2008 Leake PA, Hradek GT, Bonham BH, Snyder RL -
Factors influencing neurotrophic effects of electrical stimulation in the deafened developing auditory system.
Hearing research 2008 Leake PA, Stakhovskaya O, Hradek GT, Hetherington AM -
Effects of age at onset of deafness and electrical stimulation on the developing cochlear nucleus in cats.
Hearing research 2008 Stakhovskaya O, Hradek GT, Snyder RL, Leake PA -
Considerations for design of future cochlear implant electrode arrays: electrode array stiffness, size, and depth of insertion.
Journal of rehabilitation research and development 2008 Rebscher SJ, Hetherington A, Bonham B, Wardrop P, Whinney D, Leake PA -
Spatial selectivity to intracochlear electrical stimulation in the inferior colliculus is degraded after long-term deafness in cats.
Journal of neurophysiology 2007 Vollmer M, Beitel RE, Snyder RL, Leake PA -
Spontaneous discharge patterns in cochlear spiral ganglion cells before the onset of hearing in cats.
Journal of neurophysiology 2007 Jones TA, Leake PA, Snyder RL, Stakhovskaya O, Bonham B -
Design and fabrication of multichannel cochlear implants for animal research.
Journal of neuroscience methods 2007 Rebscher SJ, Hetherington AM, Snyder RL, Leake PA, Bonham BH -
Neurotrophic effects of GM1 ganglioside and electrical stimulation on cochlear spiral ganglion neurons in cats deafened as neonates.
The Journal of comparative neurology 2007 Leake PA, Hradek GT, Vollmer M, Rebscher SJ -
Frequency map for the human cochlear spiral ganglion: implications for cochlear implants.
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO 2007 Stakhovskaya O, Sridhar D, Bonham BH, Leake PA -
Hermaphroditism: cytogenetics, gonadal pathology and gender assignment: a case report.
The West Indian medical journal 2006 Duncan ND, Gabay L, Williams E, Dundas SE, Plummer N, Leake PA -
A frequency-position function for the human cochlear spiral ganglion.
Audiology & neuro-otology 2006 Sridhar D, Stakhovskaya O, Leake PA -
Neonatal deafness results in degraded topographic specificity of auditory nerve projections to the cochlear nucleus in cats.
The Journal of comparative neurology 2006 Leake PA, Hradek GT, Chair L, Snyder RL -
A temporal bone study of insertion trauma and intracochlear position of cochlear implant electrodes. I: Comparison of Nucleus banded and Nucleus Contour electrodes.
Hearing research 2005 Wardrop P, Whinney D, Rebscher SJ, Roland JT, Luxford W, Leake PA -
A temporal bone study of insertion trauma and intracochlear position of cochlear implant electrodes. II: Comparison of Spiral Clarion and HiFocus II electrodes.
Hearing research 2005 Wardrop P, Whinney D, Rebscher SJ, Luxford W, Leake P -
Degradation of temporal resolution in the auditory midbrain after prolonged deafness is reversed by electrical stimulation of the cochlea.
Journal of neurophysiology 2005 Vollmer M, Leake PA, Beitel RE, Rebscher SJ, Snyder RL -
Postnatal refinement of auditory nerve projections to the cochlear nucleus in cats.
The Journal of comparative neurology 2002 Leake PA, Snyder RL, Hradek GT