THE FOCUS

The focus of my research is to:  1) to understand the molecular mechanisms of altered synaptic communication that leads to the development of epilepsy and identify targets that may  serve as therapeutic targets for treatment 2) to elucidate the mechanism that make a subset of epilepsy patients refractory to treatment (patients that cannot control their seizures with common anti-epileptic drugs) and 3)  to decipher the role of the gut microbiota in seizure susceptibility in acquired and idiopathic epilepsies (epilepsies of unknown cause).  

Projects will aim to: 1) determine how changes in the gut microbiota influences the function of neuron and glia cells to shape synaptic function in different neuronal circuits in normal and epilepsy models, 2) examine how specific diets affects the composition of the gut microbiota and regulate neuronal function and seizure threshold, 3) decipher how bacterially released molecules such as short-chain fatty acids can regulate neuronal function to shape neuronal hyperexcitability, and 4) determine differences in the quantity and diversity of microbes in epilepsy models.

My lab utilizes a variety of methodologies including electrophysiological techniques to probe changes in the function of neuronal circuits, synapses, and synaptic receptors, modern molecular approaches, imaging, and biochemical analyses.  To assess changes in gut microbes we will use 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing.

Ultimately, the goal is to identify the mechanisms by which the gut microbes affect seizure activity and then develop deliberate manipulation of the gut microbiota as a therapeutic strategy to ameliorate seizure activity.