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Our laboratory explores research questions at the intersection of neuroscience, physiology, and endocrinology, with an emphasis on interactions between the brain and endocrine systems in the context of seizures and epilepsy.
We are particularly interested in the neural and pituitary mechanisms of epilepsy-associated reproductive endocrine disorders. Both women and men with temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of epilepsy seen in adults, show higher rates of reproductive endocrine disorders in comparison with the general population. Importantly, reproductive endocrine problems can reciprocally impact the severity of epilepsy seen and influence the choice and efficacy of anti-seizure treatments. We aim to understand the mechanisms by which temporal lobe seizures impact the hypothalamic-pituitary control of reproduction. A parallel area of research in the lab examines sex differences and hormone actions in epilepsy and seizure susceptibility. We have found fluctuations in seizure activity with estrous cycle stage in female mice with epilepsy, differences in seizure activity between male and female mice, and sex differences in changes in acute seizure susceptibility that are revealed after gonadectomy to remove gonadal hormones. Our ongoing work is aimed at understanding the distinct roles of gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes in shaping sex differences in seizures and epilepsy, and the influences of sex and hormone signaling on neural excitability and seizure susceptibility in Alzheimer's disease. We are also currently working to develop new mouse models of hypothalamic hamartomas, which are rare pediatric brain tumors that cause severe epilepsy, central precocious puberty, and cognitive and behavioral changes. 
Diestrus vs. estrus shifts in gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuron firing are compromised in the intrahippocampal kainate mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Adapted from Li et al., eNeuro 2018
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We use a variety of techniques and tools:
In vitro whole-cell patch clamp recording during application of blue light for optogenetic stimulation
Seizure activity recorded by EEG
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