Professor Tanya Whitfield
Department of Biomedical Science
Professor of Developmental Biology
Director of Research
+44 114 222 2350
Full contact details
Department of Biomedical Science
C13
Firth Court
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
- Profile
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- 2016-present: Professor of Developmental Biology, University of Sheffield.
- 2013-2015: Reader in Developmental Biology, University of Sheffield.
- 2004-2012: Senior Lecturer, University of Sheffield.
- 1997-2004: Lecturer, University of Sheffield.
- 1994-1997: Imperial Cancer Research Fund Postdoctoral Fellow and Linacre College Junior Research Fellow, Developmental Biology Unit, University of Oxford, and Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. Research Advisor: Dr Julian Lewis.
- 1994: EMBO Short Term Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany. Research Advisor: Professor Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard.
- 1992-1994: Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Zoology and Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research Campaign Institute, University of Cambridge. Research Advisor: Professor Chris Wylie.
- 1989-1992: Wellcome PhD student, Department of Zoology and Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research Campaign Institute, University of Cambridge. Research Advisor: Professor Chris Wylie.
- 1986-1989: BA Natural Sciences (Zoology), University of Cambridge.
- Research interests
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My group uses the zebrafish as a model organism to study the development and function of vertebrate sensory systems. Our main focus is the inner ear, the organ of hearing and balance.
Development of the fish inner ear
Summary for the non-specialist
The inner ear is the organ that mediates our senses of hearing and balance. It consists of an intricate fluid-filled labyrinth housing a variety of extraordinarily sensitive sensory structures that respond to sound, movement and gravity.
For correct inner ear function it is essential that each of these components form in exactly the right place in the embryo, as any abnormalities can lead to deafness or balance disorders. Indeed, congenital deafness is an important clinical condition, affecting approximately one in every thousand children at birth.
Our aim is to understand how the inner ear develops in the embryo, and the mechanisms that ensure that the different cell types in the ear arise in the correct positions so that they can function accurately.
We use embryos of a small tropical fish, the zebrafish, in our research, as this fish is a superb model for the study of vertebrate inner ear development.
- Dynamics of inner ear formation. The movie shows the otic vesicle (developing ear) of a zebrafish embryo on the third day after fertilisation.
- Cell membranes are labelled in green, and cell nuclei in red.
- Projections of epithelium grow into the centre of the vesicle to form the semicircular canal system.
- Movie credit: S. Baxendale and N. van Hateren. Transgenic lines from Robert Knight and the Nieto lab.
Technical summary
Current projects in the Whitfield lab include:
- Morphogenesis and patterning in the otic placode and vesicle
We are identifying pathways of gene activity that lead to correct axial patterning of the otic epithelium, together with establishment of the neurogenic, sensory and non-sensory domains in the developing ear. We have a long-standing interest in the roles that Hedgehog, Fgf and BMP signalling play in these processes.
Development of the vestibular system
The adult inner ear consists of three interconnected ducts of non-sensory epithelium—the semicircular canals—and various chambers containing sensory hair cells. We are examining zebrafish lines that develop with morphological defects of the semicircular canal system. We are using light-sheet microscopy to image semicircular canal formation in these lines, and automated tracking of adult fish to measure any balance deficits.
We are also interested in the formation of the otoliths, biomineralised ‘ear stones’ that sit over patches of sensory hair cells in the ear. In the zebrafish ear, otoliths are initially tethered to the tips of kinocilia on the sensory hair cells. Later, they adhere to the sensory patch via the otolithic membrane. We have recently identified two large glycoproteins involved in zebrafish otolith tethering and adhesion.
Modelling human deafness and vestibular disorders
Some of our zebrafish lines form models for a variety of human diseases, including Waardenburg-Shah syndrome, Branchio-Oto-Renal syndrome and DiGeorge syndrome.
Ototoxicity
A number of drugs used to treat human infections or cancer have ototoxic side effects: they damage sensory hair cells in the ear, leaving a patient with temporary or permanent hearing loss and vestibular impairment. We are using the lateral line of the zebrafish embryo as a screening tool to identify compounds that can protect hair cells from the ototoxic effects of drugs such as neomycin and cisplatin.
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- Anteroposterior patterning of the zebrafish ear through Fgf- and Hh-dependent regulation of hmx3a expression. PLoS Genetics, 15(4). View this article in WRRO
- Identification of compounds that rescue otic and myelination defects in the zebrafish adgrg6 (gpr126) mutant.. eLife, 8. View this article in WRRO
- Otolith tethering in the zebrafish otic vesicle requires Otogelin and -Tectorin. Development, 142(6), 1137-1145. View this article in WRRO
- RA and FGF Signalling Are Required in the Zebrafish Otic Vesicle to Pattern and Maintain Ventral Otic Identities. PLoS Genetics, 10(12). View this article in WRRO
- Semicircular canal morphogenesis in the zebrafish inner ear requires the function of gpr126 (lauscher), an adhesion class G protein-coupled receptor gene.. Development, 140(21), 4362-4374. View this article in WRRO
- Identification of compounds that rescue otic and myelination defects in the zebrafish adgrg6 (gpr126) mutant. eLife.
All publications
Journal articles
- Cilia in the developing zebrafish ear. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 375(1792). View this article in WRRO
- Anteroposterior patterning of the zebrafish ear through Fgf- and Hh-dependent regulation of hmx3a expression. PLoS Genetics, 15(4). View this article in WRRO
- Identification of compounds that rescue otic and myelination defects in the zebrafish adgrg6 (gpr126) mutant.. eLife, 8. View this article in WRRO
- Identification of ion-channel modulators that protect against aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death. JCI insight, 2(24). View this article in WRRO
- Sculpting the labyrinth: Morphogenesis of the developing inner ear.. Semin Cell Dev Biol. View this article in WRRO
- Methods to study the development, anatomy, and function of the zebrafish inner ear across the life course. Methods in Cell Biology, 133, 165-209. View this article in WRRO
- Development of the inner ear. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, 32, 112-118. View this article in WRRO
- Otolith tethering in the zebrafish otic vesicle requires Otogelin and -Tectorin. Development, 142(6), 1137-1145. View this article in WRRO
- RA and FGF Signalling Are Required in the Zebrafish Otic Vesicle to Pattern and Maintain Ventral Otic Identities. PLoS Genetics, 10(12). View this article in WRRO
- Julian Hart Lewis, FRS (1946-2014) Obituary. DEVELOPMENTAL CELL, 29(5), 507-509.
- Sensational placodes: Neurogenesis in the otic and olfactory systems. Developmental Biology, 1, 50-67. View this article in WRRO
- Sensational placodes: neurogenesis in the otic and olfactory systems.. Dev Biol, 389(1), 50-67. View this article in WRRO
- Semicircular canal morphogenesis in the zebrafish inner ear requires the function of gpr126 (lauscher), an adhesion class G protein-coupled receptor gene.. Development, 140(21), 4362-4374. View this article in WRRO
- Shedding new light on the origins of olfactory neurons.. Elife, 2, e00648. View this article in WRRO
- The role of hair cells, cilia and ciliary motility in otolith formation in the zebrafish otic vesicle.. Development, 139(10), 1777-1787.
- The role of cilia and ciliary motility in otolith formation in the zebrafish embryo. Cilia, 1(S1).
- Ototoxin-induced cellular damage in neuromasts disrupts lateral line function in larval zebrafish. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods, 66(2), 163-163.
- Ototoxin-induced cellular damage in neuromasts disrupts lateral line function in larval zebrafish. Hearing Research, 284(1-2), 67-81. View this article in WRRO
- Fgf and Hh signalling act on a symmetrical pre-pattern to specify anterior and posterior identity in the zebrafish otic placode and vesicle.. Development, 138(18), 3977-3987.
- Functional and developmental expression of a zebrafish Kir1.1 (ROMK) potassium channel homologue Kcnj1.. J Physiol, 589(Pt 6), 1489-1503.
- Repression of Hedgehog signalling is required for the acquisition of dorsolateral cell fates in the zebrafish otic vesicle.. Development, 137(8), 1361-1371.
- Expression of zebrafish hip: response to Hedgehog signalling, comparison with ptc1 expression, and possible role in otic patterning.. Gene Expr Patterns, 9(6), 391-396.
- Nkcc1 (Slc12a2) is required for the regulation of endolymph volume in the otic vesicle and swim bladder volume in the zebrafish larva.. Development, 136(16), 2837-2848.
- A zebrafish model for Waardenburg syndrome type IV reveals diverse roles for Sox10 in the otic vesicle. DIS MODEL MECH, 2(1-2), 68-83.
- A late role for bmp2b in the morphogenesis of semicircular canal ducts in the zebrafish inner ear.. PLoS One, 4(2), e4368. View this article in WRRO
- Expression of patched, prdm1 and engrailed in the lamprey somite reveals conserved responses to Hedgehog signaling.. Evol Dev, 11(1), 27-40.
- Axial patterning in the developing vertebrate inner ear.. Int J Dev Biol, 51(6-7), 507-520.
- From DNA to diversity: molecular genetics and the evolution of animal design (2nd ed.). Heredity, 96(4), 335-335.
- The developing lamprey ear closely resembles the zebrafish otic vesicle: otx1 expression can account for all major patterning differences.. Development, 133(7), 1347-1357.
- Lateral line: precocious phenotypes and planar polarity.. Curr Biol, 15(2), R67-R70.
- Models of congenital deafness: Mouse and zebrafish. Drug Discovery Today: Disease Models, 2(2), 85-92.
- The zebrafish dog-eared mutation disrupts eya1, a gene required for cell survival and differentiation in the inner ear and lateral line. DEV BIOL, 277(1), 27-41.
- Hedgehog signalling is required for correct anteroposterior patterning of the zebrafish otic vesicle.. Development, 130(7), 1403-1417.
- Zebrafish as a model for hearing and deafness.. J Neurobiol, 53(2), 157-171.
- Development of the zebrafish inner ear.. Dev Dyn, 223(4), 427-458.
- Isolation of three zebrafish dachshund homologues and their expression in sensory organs, the central nervous system and pectoral fin buds.. Mech Dev, 112(1-2), 183-189.
- Expression of BMP signalling pathway members in the developing zebrafish inner ear and lateral line.. Mech Dev, 108(1-2), 179-184.
- . Journal of Neurocytology, 28(10/11), 837-850.
- Zebrafish sparse corresponds to an orthologue of c-kit and is required for the morphogenesis of a subpopulation of melanocytes, but is not essential for hematopoiesis or primordial germ cell development.. Development, 126(15), 3425-3436.
- Hair cells without supporting cells: further studies in the ear of the zebrafish mind bomb mutant. Journal of Neurocytology, 28, 837-850.
- Intercellular signals and cell-fate choices in the developing inner ear: origins of global and of fine-grained pattern. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 8(3), 239-247.
- Mutations affecting development of the zebrafish inner ear and lateral line. Development, 123, 241-254.
- Early Embryonic Expression of XLPOU-60, a Xenopus POU-Domain Protein. Developmental Biology, 169(2), 759-769.
- Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay in Xenopus Oocytes and Embryos. Developmental Biology, 165(2), 731-734.
- XLPOU-60, a Xenopus POU-Domain mRNA, Is Oocyte-Specific from Very Early Stages of Oogenesis, and Localised to Presumptive Mesoderm and Ectoderm in the Blastula. Developmental Biology, 155(2), 361-370.
- Identification of compounds that rescue otic and myelination defects in the zebrafish adgrg6 (gpr126) mutant. eLife.
- Olfactory rod cells: a rare cell type in the larval zebrafish olfactory epithelium with an actin-rich apical projection.
Chapters
- Zebrafish Inner Ear Development and Function, Development of Auditory and Vestibular Systems (pp. 63-105). Elsevier
- Contributors, Development of Auditory and Vestibular Systems (pp. xi-xiii). Elsevier
- Zebrafish Inner Ear Development and Function, Development of Auditory and Vestibular Systems: Fourth Edition (pp. 63-105).
- The Zebrafish Inner Ear In Perry SF, Ekker M, Farrell AP & Brauner CJ (Ed.), Zebrafish (pp. 123-171). Academic Press
Conference proceedings papers
- Making and breaking symmetry in the zebrafish otic placode. Mechanisms of Development, Vol. 145 (pp S23-S23) View this article in WRRO
- 09-P016 Repression of Hedgehog signalling is required for the acquisition of dorsolateral cell fates in the zebrafish otic vesicle. Mechanisms of Development, Vol. 126 (pp S155-S155)
- 09-P020 Nkcc1/Slc12a2 is required for the regulation of endolymph in the otic vesicle and volume of the swim bladder in the zebrafish larva. Mechanisms of Development, Vol. 126 (pp S156-S156)
- The zebrafish as an invivo model of drug-induced hearing and vestibular impairment. MECHANISMS OF DEVELOPMENT, Vol. 126 (pp S330-S330)
- 03-P076 Development of semicircular canals in the zebrafish inner ear. Mechanisms of Development, Vol. 126 (pp S89-S89)
- Development of the endolymphatic duct and regulation of endolymph production in the zebrafish otic vesicle. MECHANISMS OF DEVELOPMENT, Vol. 126 (pp S171-S172)
Posters
- 'Exploring the curves of the zebrafish inner ear'.
- Anteroposterior patterning of the zebrafish ear through Fgf- and Hh-dependent regulation of hmx3a expression. PLoS Genetics, 15(4). View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Current group members
- Mr Anzar Asad, PhD student, aasad1@sheffield.ac.uk
- Dr Sarah Baxendale, Researcher Co-investigator, S.Baxendale@sheffield.ac.uk
- Ms King Yee Cheung, PhD student, kycheung1@sheffield.ac.uk
- Dr Nick van Hateren, Postdoc, n.j.van-hateren@sheffield.ac.uk
- Ms Emily Glendenning, Research Technician, e.glendenning@sheffield.ac.uk
- Mrs Ana Almeida Jones, PhD student, afmalmeida1@sheffield.ac.uk
- Dr Mar Marzo, Research Technician, m.marzo@sheffield.ac.uk
Lab alumni
- Dr Davide Baldera
- Dr Elvira Diamantopoulou
- Dr Tania Mendonca
- Dr Ryan Hartwell
- Dr Sarah Burbridge
- Dr Esther Maier
- Dr Georgina Stooke-Vaughan
- Dr Lauren Buck
- Dr Fan-Suo Geng
- Dr Bernardo Blanco-Sánchez
- Dr Giuliano Giuliani
- Dr Leila Abbas
- Dr Kate Hammond
- Mrs Joanne Spencer
- Ms Helen Loynes
- Ms Lucy Smith
- Dr Catriona Mowbray
We welcome enquiries about opportunities for postdoctoral or postgraduate study in the lab. Any funding opportunities will be listed here when available, but we are also glad to hear from postdocs who are interested in preparing fellowship applications (e.g. Marie Sklowodska-Curie Actions - Individual Fellowships). Please contact:
Professor Tanya Whitfield
- Email: t.whitfield@sheffield.ac.uk
Visit our blog to find out about life in the lab.
- Teaching activities
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Current undergraduate taught modules
Level 1:
- BMS109 Laboratory Skills in BMS
- BMS110 Research Topics in Biomedicine
Level 3:
- BMS339 Patients as Educators Project
- BMS349 Extended Library Project
- BMS397 Laboratory Research Project
Tutor to undergraduates at all 3 levels
Current postgraduate (Masters Level) modules
- BMS6052 Laboratory Research Project - examiner
- BMS6083 Practical Developmental Biology - co-ordinator