Our aim is to reach a better understanding of vestibular signaling and its modulation following compensation or adaptation. Vestibular pathways are very plastic and recalibrate their responses under normal conditions as well as following vestibular disorders. However, this compensation/ adaptation is not complete and following lesions, deficits can be observed in response to more challenging stimuli, such as high frequency or velocity movements. The ultimate goal of studies in the lab is to find practical ways for enhancing vestibular compensation or adaptation in humans.  This can be specifically useful for patients (e.g., after therapeutic vestibular neurectomy) or in conditions where unusual adaptation is required (e.g., space travel). We start by dissecting the pathway at the cellular level in order to understand the mechanisms involved in synaptic signal transmission in this system and then apply the knowledge gained by these studies to live animals.

2009-2013, Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

2002-2009, PhD degree, Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

1989-1997, MD degree, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

2009-2013, Studied the properties of synaptic transmission between vestibular hair cells, afferent fibers, and efferents in rats and mice.

2002-2009, Studied compensatory changes in signal transmission in vestibular afferents and nuclei after vestibular lesions in alert primates.

1995-2002, Clinical research on the effect of a novel rehabilitation method on patients with chronic vestibular vertigo.

2012-2013, National Organization for Hearing Research (NOHR) grant

2005-2006, Faculty of Medicine Scholarship, McGill University

2015-2018 National Institute of Health (NIDCD) grant 1R03DC015091-01 (Role: PI)

Title: “Differential modulation of response properties of vestibular afferents by cholinergic and GABAergic efferents”

Amount: $300,000 for three years

2016-2017 American Otological Society (AOS) grant (Role: PI)

Title: “In vivo optogenetic stimulation of vestibular nerve afferents and efferents” 

Amount: $50,000 for one year

2015 Faculty Internationalization Fund, University at Buffalo (Role: PI)

Title: “Behavioral correlates of vestibular nerve activity modulation by intratympanic drug delivery”

Amount: $500 for a trip to France

2012 National Organization for Hearing Research (NOHR) grant (Role: PI)

Title: “Efferent synaptic transmission onto calyx endings of vestibular nerve afferent fibers”

Amount: $10,000 for one year

2012 Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO) travel grant

2005-2006 Faculty of Medicine Scholarship, McGill University

2005 & 2007 Canadian Physiological Society Award

2004 & 2006 Alma Mater travel grant, Faculty of Graduate Studies, McGill University

• Sadeghi SG, Pyott SJ, Yu Z, Glowatzki E. Glutamatergic signaling at the vestibular hair cell calyx synapse (2014). J Neurosci. 34(44):14536-50.
• Beraneck M, Lambert FM, Sadeghi SG (2014). Functional development of the vestibular system: sensorimotor pathways for stabilization of gaze and posture; in: Development of the auditory and vestibular systems, Roman R. and Varela-Nieto I. (eds.).
• Cullen KE, Sadeghi SG (2014). The Vestibular System; in: International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, James D. Wright (editor-in-chief).
• Jamali M, Mitchell DE, Dale A, Carriot J, Sadeghi SG, Cullen KE (2014). Neuronal detection thresholds during vestibular compensation: contributions of response variability and sensory substitution. J Physiol. 592:1565-80
• Sadeghi SG, Minor LB, Cullen KE (2012). Neural correlates of sensory substitution in vestibular pathways following complete vestibular loss. J Neurosci. 32(42): 14685-95.
• Sadeghi SG, Minor LB, Cullen KE (2011). Multimodal integration after unilateral labyrinthine lesion: single vestibular nuclei neuron responses and implications for postural compensation. J Neurophysiol. 105(2): 661-73.
• Sadeghi SG, Minor LB, Cullen KE (2010). Neural Correlates of motor learning: dynamic regulation of multimodal integration in the macaque vestibular system. J Neurosci. 30(30): 10158-68.
• Sadeghi SG, Goldberg JM, Minor LB, Cullen KE (2009). Effects of canal plugging on the vestibulo-ocular reflex and vestibular nerve discharge during passive and active head rotations. J Neurophysiol. 102(5): 2693-2703.
• Cullen KE, Brooks J, Sadeghi SG (2009). How actions alter sensory processing: reafference in the vestibular system. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1164:29-36.
• Cullen KE, Beraneck M, Minor LB, Sadeghi SG (2009). Neural substrates underlying vestibular compensation: Contributions of peripheral versus central processing. J Vest Res 19(5-6): 171-82.
• Sadeghi SG, Mitchel D, Cullen KE (2009). Different neural substrates for multimodal integration in two macaque monkey species. Exp Brain Res, 195(1): 45-57.
• Sadeghi SG, Goldberg JM, Minor LB, Cullen KE (2009). Efferent-mediated responses in the vestibular-nerve afferents of the alert normal macaque under normal conditions and following vestibular lesion. J Neurophysiol.101(1): 141-149.
• Jamali M, Sadeghi SG, Cullen KE (2009). Response of vestibular-nerve afferents innervating utricle and saccule during passive and active translation. J Neurophysiol. 101(1): 141-149.
• Cullen KE, Sadeghi SG (2008). The vestibular system. Scholarpedia, 3(1):3013.
• Sadeghi SG, Minor LB, Cullen KE (2007). Response of vestibular-nerve afferents to active and passive rotations under normal conditions and following unilateral labyrinthectomy. J Neurophysiol. 97(2): 1503-1514.
• Sadeghi SG, Charcon MJ, Taylor MC, Cullen KE (2007). Neural variability, detection thresholds, and information transmission in the vestibular system. J Neurosci. 27(4):771-781.
• Sadeghi SG, Minor LB, Cullen KE (2006). Dynamics of the vestibulo-ocular reflex following unilateral labyrinthectomy: response to high frequency, high acceleration, and high velocity rotations. Exp Brain Res, 175(3): 471-484.

2016-present NRS 524: Quantitative Neuroanatomy  (Neuroscience III), Neuroscience Program, University at Buffalo – presented in spring semester of each year

2014- , CDS 610: Vestibular System, Dept. of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo

2014- , CDS 542: Advanced Hearing Sciences, Dept. of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo

2014- , CDS 502A: Research Methods, Dept. of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo

2009-2012, Vestibular sections of BME 580.625 and BME 580.626: Structure and function of the inner ear, Johns Hopkins University

2004-2005, Teaching assistant, PHGY 314: Integrative Neuroscience, McGill University

2003, Teaching assistant, PHGY 212: Introductory Physiology Laboratory, McGill University

Jan 2016 and 2018, National Science Foundation, panelist

Feb 2015 and 2016, NIH-SMI (National Institute of Health – sensory motor integration) study section, panelist

2016- present, Editorial board of the Journal of Neurophysiology

Reviewer for the following journals:

• Journal of Neuroscience
• Journal of Neurophysiology
• Journal of Applied Physiology
• Hearing Research
• European Journal of Neuroscience
• Experimental Brain Research
• Neuroscience Letters

2011-2013, Member of the Animal Care Committee of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO).

2005-2006, Member of the Animal Care Committee, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University.