Department of Otolaryngology

Carey D. Balaban, PhD

  • Professor, Department of Otolaryngology
  • Professor, Neurobiology
  • Professor, Communication Science & Disorders
  • Professor, Bioengineering

Education & Training

  • Michigan State University, BA in History with High Honors
  • University of Chicago, PhD in Anatomy
  • University of Tokyo, Postdoctoral Fellow

Representative Publications

P. Ashley Wackym · Carey D. Balaban · Heather T. Mackay · Scott J. Wood · Christopher J. Lundell · Dale M. Carter · David A. Siker · Longitudinal Cognitive and Neurobehavioral Functional Outcomes Before and After Repairing Otic Capsule Dehiscence. Otology & Neurotology 01/2016; 37(1):70-82. DOI:10.1097/MAO.0000000000000928   (Wackym and Balaban are co-first authors)

Roux A, Muller LM, Jackson SN, Baldwin K, Womack VM, Pagiazitis JG, O’Rourke JR, Panayotis KT, Balaban CD, Schultz JA, Volkow ND, Woods AS.  Chronic Ethanol consumption Profoundly Alters Regional Brain Ceramide and Sphingomyelin Content in Rodents.  ACS Chemical Neuroscience (Impact Factor: 3.87). Early online post: 11/2014; DOI: 10.1021/cn500174c

Coelho CM, Balaban CD.  Visuo-vestibular contributions to fear and anxiety.  Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (Impact Factor: 10.28). Early on-line post:  11/2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.10.023

Hoffer ME, Balaban CD, Slade MD, Tsao JD, Hoffer B  Amelioration of acute sequelae of blast induced mild traumatic brain injury by N-acetyl cysteine:  A double-blind, placebo controlled study. PLoS ONE, 01/2013; 8(1):e54163. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0054163

Furman JM, Marcus DA, Balaban CD. Vestibular migraine: clinical aspects and pathophysiology. Lancet Neurol. Jul;12(7):706-15, 2013

Woods A,  Colsch B, Jackson S, Post J,  Baldwin K, Roux A, Hoffer B, Cox B. Hoffer M, Rubovitch V, Pick C, Schultz JA, Balaban CD.    Gangliosides and Ceramides Change in a Mouse Model of Blast Induced Traumatic Brain Injury.  ACS Chem Neurosci. 2013 Apr 17;4(4):594-600. doi: 10.1021/cn300216h. Epub 2013 Jan 17

McCandless CH, Balaban CD.  Parabrachial nucleus neuronal responses to off-vertical axis rotation in macaques. Exp Brain Res 202(2): 271-90, 2010

McBurney DH, Balaban CD   A heuristic model of sensory adaptation. Atten Percept Psychophys. 71(8):1941-61,     2009.

Halberstadt AL, Balaban CD:  Selective anterograde tracing of the individual serotonergic and nonserotonergic components of the dorsal raphe nucleus projection to the vestibular nuclei.  Neuroscience 147(1):207-23, June 2007.

Balaban CD, Thayer JF:  Neurological bases for balance-anxiety links.  Journal of Anxiety Disorders  15(1-2):53-79, 2001

Schuerger RJ, Balaban CD:  Organization of the coeruleo-vestibular pathway  in rats, rabbits, and monkeys.   Brain Res Rev  30:189-217, 1999

Balaban CD, O'Callaghan JP, Billingsley ML:  Trimethyltin neuronal damage in the rat brain:  Comparative studies using neuronotypic and gliotypic proteins.  Neurosci, 1988, 26:337‑361.

View Dr. Balaban's most current publications.

Research Interest Summary

Comorbid Features of Normal Vestibular Function and Dysfuction, Next Generation Cytochemistry -- Mass Spectrometric Imaging, Biological Mechanisms, Objective Diagnosis and Novel Treatment In Acute and Chronic Mild Concussion

Research Interests

Dr. Balaban’s research program has been supported from a variety of sources including the NIH, NASA, the Office of Naval Research and corporations. He has extensive experience in conducting multidisciplinary, cross-cutting research in biomedical sciences, engineering and social sciences and has participated in the emerging fields of augmented cognition and neuroergonomics. His over-riding interest has been formulation of mathematical models, heuristic models and teleological approaches to interpret data translationally from basic science experiments in terms of behavioral and clinical phenomena. Using this approach, he has examined the interplay between neurological and psychological features of co-morbid aspects of balance disorders, migraine and anxiety disorders.  His current work includes extending the implications of these models to analogous features of mild traumatic brain injury and acoustic trauma, with both traditional approaches and novel methods such as mass spectrometric imaging of histological materials.  He has also participated in developing new patented technologies to gauge situational awareness and cognitive engagement from postural orienting responses and decision support software for responses to mass casualty events.  Dr. Balaban is an author of two books on seventeenth century medicine.  Dr. Balaban teaches in the four core courses of the National Preparedness and Homeland Security certificate program at the University of Pittsburgh,  the medical neurobiology course, an undergraduate history of medicine course, and a graduate course on Intellectual History of Neuroscience.

Research Grants

Vestibular Regulation of Respiratory Muscle Activity, 3/1/10-2/28/16 (renewal application pending), NIH NIDCD, R01

Cognitive Sensing and Data Fusion, 7/1-12/31/14, Currently under review for 2016-17 support, Raytheon (Missile Guidance Division), Contract

Novel Oculomotor and Vestibular Testing After Head Injury: Improving Diagnostic Accuracy, 9/15/14-9/14/15, National Football League,  Under Armour, Inc and General Electric Head Health Challenge II, R01