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spotlight[0] = "spotlight1.gif|This image of a section of the cochlea shows nerve fibers in red and cholinergic synapses in green. It allows us to better understand the interplay of the numerous neurotransmitters and their receptors in the inner ear. The image was made using fluorescent immunohistochemistry using a confocal microscope to image the sample.";
spotlight[1] = "spotlight2.gif|Healthy ears generate sound in response to acoustic stimuli that can be measured in the ear canal.  These responses are a powerful technique for looking inside the cochlea non-invasively, allowing us to better understand cochlear mechanics.  This plot shows the level of these emissions measured as a function of the frequency and level of the input stimulus.";
spotlight[2] = "spotlight3.gif|Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is used to study how our brain responds to sound stimuli.  This graph demonstrates how certain regions of the auditory cortex respond to short sound bursts. Some regions of the primary auditory cortex show a more sustained response (red), while surrounding non-primary areas respond in a more transient fashion that signals the onset and offset of the sound (yellow).";
spotlight[3] = "spotlight4.jpg|The activity of thousands of genes can be studied simultaneously using microarrays.  Green spots indicate genes that are active in the cochlea, while red spots indicate genes that are more active in non-cochlear tissue.  Yellow spots show genes that have roughly equal expression in both tissues.  This technique allows us to rapidly screen the entire genome to identify genes of interest.";
spotlight[4] = "spotlight5.jpg|Neurotrophin 3 is released by the supporting cells and hair cells of the inner ear during development to support the survival and differentiation of developing nerve fibers growing from the brain.  In this image, a mouse has been engineered with a lacZ construct, which can be used to create a blue stain that marks cells releasing neurotrophin 3.  Understanding the normal development of the ear is essential for engineering regenerative technologies that can cure deafness.";
spotlight[5] = "spotlight6.gif|Measuring the response of auditory neurons to sounds typically found in speech and music shows us how the ear transforms acoustic information into neural activity. Here is shown the response of an auditory nerve fiber over time to a series of harmonic sounds, demonstrating that the auditory nerve encodes multiple cues to the sound’s underlying pitch. Pitch provides essential cues for hearing in noise, yet cochlear implant users and hearing impaired listeners typically have trouble with pitch perception.  A better understanding of how the normal auditory system encodes pitch is essential for improving these assistive technologies.";  
spotlight[6] = "spotlight7.jpg|Three dimensional view of cochlear neurons (yellow) demonstrating the complex innervation of the inner and outer hair cell areas.  Such three dimensional projections allow interactive visualization that helps us better understand the spatial distribution of neurons that is very hard to see in two-dimensional sections.";
spotlight[7] = "spotlight8.jpg|This model of the human temporal bone is used as a teaching tool in the SHBT program.  Anyone can <a href='https://research.meei.harvard.edu/Otopathology/3dmodels//3Dviewer.html'>download a viewer</a> that controls the visibility of bone, nerve fibers, blood vessels and more, and allows the user to interact with the model in a three-dimensional fashion.";
spotlight[8] = "spotlight9.jpg|Section of a transgenic mouse engineered to express a fluorescent protein (blue) in cells of neuronal origin, while the inner and outer hair cells are labelled with a marker against myosinVIIa (green).  Such transgenic mice are commonly used in regenerative studies to determine whether stem cells are developing into neuronal cells.";
spotlight[9] = "spotlight10.gif|The activity of neck muscles is often altered in people with voice disorders.  Understanding this change will help us develop better clinical therapies for voice disorders.  This graph shows the activity of three laryngeal muscles (red, orange and brown) and the acoustic signal (blue) as the speaker says &quot;the blue spot is on the key again&quot;.";
spotlight[10] = "spotlight11.gif|An electrolarynx (EL) is a device used by patients who had their larynx (voice box) surgically removed.  The EL allows such patients to produce speech sounds; however, there are marked perceptual differences between EL speech and normal speech. Understanding the nature of these perceptual differences will allow us to refine EL technology so that users can produce more natural-sounding speech. This image demonstrates some of the acoustic differences between EL and normal speech that underlie the perceptual differences.";
spotlight[11] = "spotlight12.jpg|Fluorescent markers are often used to visualize the location of proteins within cells.  This three-dimensional reconstruction of several inner hair cells shows the distribution of calretinin (green), ctbp2 (blue) and chromatin (red) in the cell.  Such visualizations allow us to better understand the intricate, labyrinth-like structure of the mammalian cochlea and the role that thousands of proteins have in hearing.";
spotlight[12] = "spotlight13.jpg|The leading cause of voice disorders is loss of vocal fold elasticity due to scarring.  Work is underway to develop biological implants that can be used to surgically restore normal-sounding speech in these patients.  This picture shows a cross section of healthy vocal cords.";
spotlight[13] = "spotlight14.jpg|The mammalian tectorial membrane is a relatively poorly understood gelatinous structure in the inner ear. Radial (r) forces (double-sided arrows) applied at one location on an isolated tectorial membrane excite waves of motion that propagate longitudinally (l). Analysis of physiological loading effects suggests that these waves can propagate in vivo. Because these waves can stimulate hair cells and interact with the basilar membrane traveling wave they constitute a distinct mode of cochlear motion, thereby fundamentally changing the way we think about cochlear mechanisms.";

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