Hometown
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

College
University of Wisconsin, BA Speech Pathology/Deaf education, 1974

Graduate School
University of Denver, MA Audiology, 1976
State University of New York, PhD Hearing Science, 1989
University of Texas, Southwest Medical Center, Research postdoctorate, Cochlear anatomy, 1989-1990

Year Appointed to Penn Faculty
2001

Areas of Expertise
Inner ear hearing science

Areas of Special Interest
Cochlear homeostasis

Current Research Interests
Basement membranes
Dysfunction of the stria vascularis

Positions Held in Major Societies (Past & Present)
Scientific Review Board, Deafness Research Foundation
R03 Hearing and Science Study Section, NIDCD

Honors & Awards
Diamond Research Award, 1988
PFP Fellow Award 1989-1990

Recent Publications
Gratton MA, Smyth BJ. Cisplatin: continuous versus bolus. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2006 Feb;28(2):60-1.

Nie L, Gratton MA, Mu KJ, Dinglasan JN, Feng W, Yamoah EN. Expression and functional phenotype of mouse ERG K+ channels in the inner ear: potential role in K+ regulation in the inner ear. J Neurosci. 2005 Sep 21;25(38):8671-9.

Gratton MA, Rao VH, Meehan DT, Askew C, Cosgrove D. Matrix metalloproteinase dysregulation in the stria vascularis of mice with Alport syndrome: implications for capillary basement membrane pathology. Am J Pathol. 2005 May;166(5):1465-74.

Nie L, Feng W, Diaz R, Gratton MA, Doyle KJ, Yamoah EN. Functional consequences of polyamine synthesis inhibition by L-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO): cellular mechanisms for DFMO-mediated ototoxicity. J Biol Chem. 2005 Apr 15;280(15):15097-102.

Gratton MA, Vazquez AE. Age-related hearing loss: current research.
Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003 Oct;11(5):367-71. Review.

Gratton MA, Meehan DT, Smyth BJ, Cosgrove D. Strial marginal cells play a role in basement membrane homeostasis: in vitro and in vivo evidence. Hear Res. 2002 Jan;163(1-2):27-36.

Book Chapters
Cosgrove, D., and Gratton, M.A. (2005) Extracellular matrix in inner ear development and function. In: Miner, J.H. (ed.) _Extracellular Matrices and Development: Advances in Developmental Biology, Vol 15_. Elsevier, New York, pp 153-181.

Gratton, M.A. and Smyth, B.J. (2004) Platinum Compounds In: Rutka, J. & Roland P. (ed.) Ototoxicity Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, New York, pp.60-75.