John Guinan, PhD

John Guinan is professor of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School, where he has spent a distinguished career investigating the mechanics and physiology of the inner ear. Guinan earned his undergraduate degree before completing his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at MIT, where his fellowship began in 1965. His research has elucidated the role of the medial olivocochlear efferent system in modulating cochlear mechanics—the neural feedback pathway from the brainstem that tunes the sensitivity of the inner ear. His work on otoacoustic emissions and cochlear amplifier mechanisms has contributed fundamental understanding of how the ear achieves its remarkable combination of sensitivity and dynamic range.