The UCLA Seizure Disorder Center’s Laboratory for Epilepsy Research carries out translational systems investigations into the fundamental neuronal mechanisms of epilepsy and normal brain function. Our work emphasizes electrophysiological and imaging approaches, utilizing invasive recordings of singe cells and microcircuits in patients with drug resistant epilepsy (DRE), obtained during presurgical evaluation, pioneered at UCLA over 50 years ago. Findings are further pursued with parallel EEG and MRI studies in animal models of epilepsy to elucidate mechanisms of epileptogenesis and ictogenesis, as well as epilepsy biomarkers. Pathological high frequency oscillations (pHFOs), discovered in our laboratory in 1999, remain the most promising of epilepsy biomarkers, and are being used in patients with DRE to delineate the epileptogenic region for surgical resection. Given the need for collaborative big data research to resolve critical questions concerning diagnosis treatment and prevention of epilepsy, our laboratory is pursuing international, multicenter, multidisciplinary projects such as the National Institutes of Health funded Center without Walls, The Epilepsy Bioinformatic Study for Antiepleptogenic Therapy (EpiBioS4Rx) to prevent post traumatic epilepsy after traumatic brain injury. Another important long-standing function of our Laboratory is the training of junior scientists to become the future leaders in epilepsy research.
Recently published Manuscripts:
