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UF Health University of Florida
Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics College of Medicine
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Jonathan Bird

Jonathan Bird, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department: MD-PHARMACOLOGY – THERAPEUTICS
Business Phone: (352) 294-8633
Business Email: j.bird@ufl.edu

On This Page

Teaching Profile

Courses Taught

  1. GMS6551 – Fundamentals of Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics

    College of Medicine

  2. PAS5026 – Pharmacotherapeutics I

    College of Medicine

  3. DEN6262 – Prin of Pharmacology

    College of Dentistry

  4. GMS7979 – Advanced Research

    College of Medicine

  5. GMS6070 – Sensory and Motor Systems

    College of Medicine

  6. MDU4002 – Introduction to Medical Science Seminar 2

    College of Medicine

  7. BMS6031 – Foundations of Med

    College of Medicine

  8. GMS6009 – Principles of Drug Action and Therapeutics

    College of Medicine

  9. GMS7794 – Neuroscience Seminar

    College of Medicine

Research Profile

The Bird Lab is interested in how myosin molecular motors generate force on actin filaments and how defects in this fundamental cytoskeletal mechanism cause human disease. Dr. Bird studies this question using hair cells, the neural receptors for hearing and balance that are found within the inner ear. Hair cells transduce sounds and accelerations using actin-based stereocilia that protrude from their surface. The loss of stereocilia and hair cells, due to noise exposure, ototoxic drugs and aging, is a significant cause of permanent hearing impairment that is estimated to affect more than 360 million people worldwide (1).

Myosin motors are critical for hair cell sensory transduction, with mutations in no fewer than six classes of myosin genes (I, II, III, VI, VII & XV) causing hearing loss. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, the Bird Lab is investigating how myosin motors regulate molecular trafficking within stereocilia and how this ultimately controls actin dynamics and stereocilia architecture. The lab combines data from experiments with mutant animal models, cutting-edge microscopy in live cells, and purified proteins in biochemical and single molecule assays. These studies are expected to reveal the detailed mechanisms for how stereocilia mechanosensors are assembled and maintained, and they will inform the wider goal to therapeutically enhance repair processes to promote healthy, lifelong hearing.

References: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs300/en/

Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)

0000-0001-5531-8794

Areas of Interest

  • Gene therapy
  • Hearing Loss
  • High-content Screening and Drug Discovery
  • Molecular Motors and Cytoskeletal Disease

Publications

Academic Articles

Grants

  1. Exploring the Biophysical Landscape of Tip Density Biomolecular Condensates in Mechanosensory Stereocilia

    Active

    Role:
    Other
    Funding:
    NATL INST OF HLTH NIDCD

  2. Significance of Myo7a isoforms in hair cell function

    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding:
    UNIV OF VIRGINIA via NATL INST OF HLTH NIDCD

  3. Molecular Mechanisms of Hair Bundle Development and Maintenance

    Active

    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding:
    NATL INST OF HLTH NIDCD

Contact Details

Phones:
Business:
(352) 294-8633
Emails:
Business:
j.bird@ufl.edu
Addresses:
Business Mailing:
PO Box 100267
 GAINESVILLE FL 32610
Business Street:
1200 NEWELL DR
 GAINESVILLE FL 32610