Overview

Instructor, Harvard Medical School

Assistant in Pharmacology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Research Areas

• GABAA receptor function and pharmacology
• Mechanism and treatment of epilepsy/seizures
• Molecular mechanism for general anesthetics

Description of Research

We study modulation of ion channels by general anesthetics using molecular biology, biochemistry and electrophysiology techniques. Wild type and mutant GABAA receptors are expressed in heterologous expression systems, and allosteric modulation of GABAA receptors by anesthetics such as etomidate is investigated using two electrode voltage-clamp and patch-clamp recordings. We are also interested in studying the mechanisms underlying epilepsy/seizures as well as their related complications. In the current project, we are investigating the role of serotonergic neurotransmission in respiratory arrest evoked by generalized seizures in DBA mice, an animal model for human sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).