Allison Coffin

Department of Biology
The University of Maryland 
College Park, MD 20742

Phone: (301) 405-6903
E-mail: ac200@umail.umd.edu\

Curriculum Vitae

My dissertation research took an evolutionary and comparative approach to gene expression and protein distribution in the inner ears of fishes. I study a group of critical inner ear proteins, the unconventional myosins in hair cells of different vertebrates (please see "Unconventional Myosins"). Myosins are actin-associated motor proteins involved in such diverse processes as muscle contraction, endocytosis, and organelle transport.  I study myosins VI and VIIa, two proteins that are ciritcal for hearing in humans and in animal models such as mice and zebrafish.  My RT-PCR studies show that both myosins are expressed in the inner ears of all fishes examined.  Immunofluorescence studies show that myosin VIIa distribution in hair cell is conserved across vertebrates and suggests conservation of function as well.  Myosin VI distribution, however, differs between species and end organs.  In addition to its known role of membrane anchoring in hair cells, I propose that myosin VI acts within fish hair bundles to transport stereocilia proteins from the bundle to the apical cell surface for endocytosis.  

I am also interested in genome duplication in fishes.  Studies of zebrafish hox gene clusters (Amores et al. 1998) first showed that fishes have more hox clusters than mammals and suggested that the entire fish genome was duplicated some time during fish evolution.  I study myosin VI duplicate genes in fishes to examine the evolutionary window of time in which this duplication occurred.

My research is supported by the Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing training grant and by an individual NRSA, both from NIDCD. 

I recently completed my PhD and willbegin postdoctoral research in January 2006 with Dr. Craig Hawryshyn (currently at the University of Victoria) at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.  There I will study ultravioletvision in salmonids, emphasizing mechanisms of endocrine-mediated life-history changes in UV vision in Pacific salmon.  This summer I will teach Principles of Evolution at UMD. 

Outside of science, I am president of St. Jude Toastmasters Club in Rockville, MD and a member of UM Toastmasters Club at UMCP.  I also teach public speaking workshops for businesses and organizations.  Please contact me directly for more information.

Coffin AB, Kelley MW, Popper AN (2005) Myosin VI in fish ears.  Assoc. Res. 
             Otolaryngol. Abstract.

Coffin AB, Kelley MW, ManleyGA, Popper AN (2004)  Evolution of sensory hair 
             cells. In: Manley GA, Fay RR, Popper AN (eds) Evolution of the Auditory
             System  New York: Springer-Verlag.

Coffin AB, Pereira DL, SpanglerGR (2003)  Stock-specific growth rates of lake
             herring (Coregonus artedi) in western Lake Superior. Env. Biol. Fishes
             68(1):39-48.

Razdan PS, Coffin AB, Popper AN (2003) The effects of gentamicin on hair 
cell damage and regeneration in the oscar inner ear. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. Abstract.

Coffin AB, Higgs DM, Presson JC, Popper AN (2002) Distribution of 
unconventional myosins in the zebrafish ear. Bioacoustics 12(2/3):140-142.

Coffin AB, Presson JC, Popper AN (2002) Unconventional myosins in 
              vertebrate hair cells. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. Abstract.