Karl Koehler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on understanding the development and regeneration of sensory organs, particularly in the inner ear and skin. The primary goal of his lab is to elucidate the cellular layers of developing embryos, leading to the formation of fully functioning sense organs. His innovative work includes pioneering cell culture models for human inner ear and skin using stem cells. He has established methods for generating mouse and human inner ear sensory tissues, hair cells, and neurons, contributing to significant advancements in drug discovery for hearing loss and balance disorders. In addition, Koehler's research has demonstrated the ability to generate skin organoids containing all necessary skin layers and structures from mouse stem cells, with subsequent findings on human hair-bearing skin organoids derived from pluripotent stem cells. His ongoing projects involve collaborative studies to explore inner ear disease processes and regeneration, as well as an investigation into the mechanisms controlling the composition and regional identity of developing skin organoids, which may lead to breakthroughs in tissue reconstruction and wound healing.