Laurence Trussell received his Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1983. After initial postdoctoral work at UCLA, he obtained further training at Washington University, St. Louis. In 1990, he received a faculty appointment at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In 1999, he was appointed as professor in the Oregon Hearing Research Center with an appointment as scientist at the Vollum Institute.

These are a few of Dr. Trussell's major milestones and significant discoveries:
- Neurons that encode timing of acoustic signals are molecularly and biophysically specialized for that function
- Cellular/synaptic learning mechanisms occur even at the earliest levels of sensory processing
- Co-release of multiple transmitters from neurons act together on the same receptor
- Ca2+ channels are expressed in axons and control the triggering of complex spike activity

Dr. Trussel is also the Interim Director of the Oregon Hearing Research Center (OHRC).