Los Angeles, CA - June 7, 2010 - House Ear Institute CEO, Jim Boswell, announced the appointment of Neil Segil, Ph.D., as Executive Vice President of Research at the House Ear Institute (HEI) effective June 1, 2010. For the past several months, Segil has taken on the additional responsibilities of Interim Director, Division of Cell Biology and Genetics (CB&G) as well as co-Executive Vice President, Research.
"Research is the core of the institute's work. I am pleased to appoint an HEI scientist to the position of executive vice president of research," said Jim Boswell, CEO House Ear Institute. "Neil's knowledge of the institute and the researchers as well as his own research contributions will prove invaluable as the institute looks to expand the areas of research."
In addition to the Division of Cell Biology and Genetics and the Division of Communication and Auditory Neuroscience, HEI plans to create the Division of Clinical and Translational Research. The new division will increase collaborative research between HEI researchers and House Clinic physicians.
"The divisions will be fluid with people working together regardless of what division they may be in," said Neil Segil, Ph.D. "We are also looking to establish more partnerships with outside researchers and universities, as well as with the House Clinic through the new division."
Segil will continue as interim director of CB&G. In this position, Segil developed a joint HEI/USC training program in Hearing and Communication Neuroscience which recently received an NIH training grant to fund graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at HEI and USC. In addition, several of the postdoctoral fellows trained in Segil's lab have gone on to become professors at prestigious institutions such as Emory University, the University of Rochester, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Neil Segil joined the House Ear Institute (HEI) in 1996. In addition to his responsibility as a Scientist III, Segil currently holds two National Institute of Health RO1 grants. He also holds the position of Research Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California. Segil's research is focused on development and regeneration of the inner ear, as well as the problem of ototoxicity.
He received his bachelor's degree from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and his doctoral degree in Biochemistry from Columbia University in New York. Following his graduate education, Segil did a postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University during which he studied the regulation of transcription during the cell cycle.
About the House Ear Institute
The House Ear Institute (HEI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing hearing science through research and education to improve quality of life. HEI scientists investigate the cellular and molecular causes of hearing loss and related auditory disorders as well as neurological processes pertaining to the human auditory system and the brain. Our researchers also explore technology advancements to improve auditory implants, hearing aids, diagnostic techniques and rehabilitation tools. The Institute shares its knowledge with the scientific and medical communities as well as the general public through its education and outreach programs.
For more information about HEI please call (800) 388-8612 or visit www.hei.org.
