Research: Faculty Research

Faculty members and staff in the Department of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin are conducting basic and clinical research programs within the neurosciences.

The department is committed to the translation of basic research findings to the clinical domain and actively encourages and facilitates interactions and collaborations between clinicians and basic scientists both within the department and in other departments and schools.

Research activities are funded by government, foundation, private donor and industry sponsors. Research programs are an integral part of the department's mission and play a central role in its activities.

Basic science research is focused in computational neuroscience physical theory, epileptogenesis, neuropsychology, plasticity, biology of neural stem cells and embryonic stem cells and neural differentiation.

Corinna Burger Lab bio >	Our lab is interested in two main problems in molecular neuroscience: the molecular biology of learning and memory, and the genetic mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders.
Michael Carrithers Lab bio >	Dr. Carrithers' basic science research in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology focuses on immune surveillance of the brain and human macrophage function in health and disease. The goal of his translational and clinical research program is to identify functional cellular markers of disease activity in multiple sclerosis patients and develop novel targets for immune therapy.
David Hsu Lab bio >
Zhen Huang Lab bio >	The cerebral cortex is the site of higher cognitive function in the brain. Its function depends critically on the intricate organization at several levels within the cortex. This ranges from the global organization of neuronal cell bodies in the cortex (e.g., the formation of cortical layers), to the elaboration of distinct dendritic patterns by various types of neurons, and eventually to the formation of specific synaptic connections among the different types of neurons. My lab is interested in several aspects of the development of the cerebral cortex. We are particularly interested in how these different levels of organization in the cerebral cortex arise during normal development and how they are affected in and contribute to human diseases. We are using several approaches including mouse genetics and in vitro tissue culture to address these questions.
Hrisanthi Ikonomidou Lab bio >	The goal of my research is to understand how the developing brain reacts to various insults and find ways to protect it. The knowledge gained may help optimize therapeutic interventions in infants born prematurely, infants and children with brain injuries, seizures, neurodevelopmental disorders or cancer.
Paul Rutecki Lab bio >	The main goal of my laboratory is to understand the synaptic physiology of the hippocampus and how that circuitry favors epileptiform activity.
Carl Stafstrom Lab bio >	My research focuses on the mechanisms and consequences of seizures in the developing brain. During development, the brain is more prone to seizures, yet the long-term consequences are less severe than in the mature brain. The physiological factors underlying this differential susceptibility have not been clarified. Using a variety of epilepsy models, we are evaluating the age-dependent features of epileptogenesis, with the ultimate goal of optimizing seizure treatment in the pediatric age group.
Tom Sutula Lab bio >	Our group studies activity-dependent circuit plasticity in the developing and adult hippocampus, a region of brain that plays a role in learning, memory, and epilepsy
Su-Chun Zhang Lab bio >	Our lab focuses on how human neuroepithelial cells are specified and subsequently differentiated into neurons and glia.
Bruce Hermann Lab bio >	Depression in Temporial Lobe Epilepsy and Neuropsychological progression new onset epilepsy
Jana Jones Lab bio > Camp Cope-A-Lot	Depression in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

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