Specialty: Research

Laboratory: 3D Stem Cell Biology Research Group, Hashino Lab

Eri Hashino, PhD, is the Ruth C. Holton Professor and the Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine. She also serves as the Founding Director of the 3D Stem Cell Biology Research Group.

Dr. Hashino grew up in Japan and received her doctoral degree in neurobiology from Nagoya University School of Medicine. She became interested in regeneration of sensory hair cells in the avian inner ear during her graduate training and decided to continue pursuing this project as a post-doctoral fellow at SUNY at Buffalo. In 2002, she joined IU School of Medicine faculity as an associate professor and Ruth C. Holton Scholar.

Dr. Hashino’s current research is focused on establishing means to generate from pluripotent stem cells sensory neurons and hair cells in the inner ear, and elucidating the epigenetic mechanisms underlying directed cellular differentiation. Her laboratory recently established a novel 3D stem cell culture system to recapitulate embryonic inner ear development in vitro from human pluripotent stem cells. Using this human in vitro model system and genome editing technology, she and her colleagues are also studying pathophysiology of various forms of congenital and progressive inner ear disorders. Her ultimate goal is to identify therapeutic targets for these genetic inner ear disorders.

The Hashino Lab is one of three faculty research laboratories in the IU School of Medicine 3D Stem Cell Biology Research Group.

In her free time, Dr. Hashino enjoys international traveling, drawing and hiking.