Neural microcircuits and the functional changes that occur in the epileptic brain have been a focus of my research since I entered the field of neuroscience as an undergraduate. I began my professional career under the direction of Peter R. Patrylo, PhD with a focus on how normal non-pathological aging may be pro- convulsive with a specific focus on the microcircuitry of the dentate gyrus and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. These early experiences fueled my burgeoning interests in the field of normal and pathological neural networks and motivated me to continue my training at the graduate level with Istvan Mody, Ph.D. My interests as a Ph.D. candidate have not wavered and I continue to investigate the dynamic abilities of the hippocampal microcircuitry and how plasticity mechanisms, which normally facilitate neural computation, may contribute to the degeneration of network function in epilepsy. Under this general thesis, I have been investigating how the enhanced plasticity of developing granule cells in the dentate gyrus may be “hijacked” by precipitating insults, resulting in a progressive degeneration of normal computational abilities. Consequently, my current research goals are to elucidate the normal and pathological properties of the dentate gyrus and hippocampal microcircuitry by combining classical electrophysiological approaches with contemporary viral vector protocols and optogenetic techniques. 

 RJ_Biographical_Sketch_2012 (78.42 kB 2012-02-14 18:12:08)