Patrick A. Forcelli

Research in my laboratory focuses on the neural circuitry underlying seizure propagation, complex behaviors, and the pharmacological treatment of neonatal seizures. We use a combination of approaches ranging from biochemistry and histology to neurophysiology (in slice and in intact animals) to behavioral monitoring and circuit manipulation (pharmacological, optogenetic, chemogenetic) to neuroimaging. Our research has four main arms: (1) improving the treatment of seizures in neonates and pregnant women, (2) identifying new targets for deep brain stimulation in epilepsy, (3) identifying novel targets (most recently, cellular senscence) for the prevention of epilepsy after injury, (4) understanding how complex behavior is controlled by brain circuitry.