Abstract
My research is focused on understanding the cell types and circuits that comprise the mammalian neocortex, and how these circuits are altered by normal experience and during disease. Currently our work employs a combination of electrophysiology, anatomy and mouse genetics and genomics to define cortical cell types and to identify alterations in cortical connectivity in epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders. Together with Facility staff and collaborators, we produce and characterize new strains of transgenic and knock-in mice that permit conditional knock out or over-expression using the Cre-Lox and Tet-Off systems respectively. Our goals are to genetically identify the major neuronal cell types within the neocortex and related brain structures and to understand the transcriptional programs that regulate neuronal physiology and connectivity. We developed techniques for manually sorting genetically labeled neurons, isolating their RNA and measuring genome-wide gene expression using microarrays and RNAseq. Our goals are to study the correspondence between gene expression and protein function in identified neuronal cell types and to determine how these processes change as a result of sensory experience and during developmental disorders such as Rett Syndrome and childhood epilepsy.