Emergence of seizures:
Seizures, excessive and synchronous discharges of numerous neurons, could suddenly rise and cease from normal neuronal networks, but recur in people with epilepsies. How a brain swings between the two phenomenal regimes remains uncertain because the underlying mechanisms are essentially different between epileptic seizures. Using electrophysiological approaches and advanced analyses, I continue to decipher the dynamics leading to seizures and pave the way to prevent the fits.

Epileptogenesis:
The genesis of epilepsy is progressing with subtle changes in the cellular levels but resulting in catastrophic consequences. Beyond a tipping point, the neuronal network cannot sustain the imbalance between excitation and inhibition, thus seizures happen and repeat. I implement electrophysiological approaches to understand the rolling skewness of epileptic brains and expect to rescue the epileptogenesis in an earlier stage.

Neural development and psychiatric disorders
Several psychiatric diseases are associated with genetic defects that can disturb the normal development of neuronal networks; however, how the mutant genes result in physiological dysfunctions or psychiatric phenotypes is poorly understood. I use electrophysiological approaches in vitro and in vivo to investigate 1) how cellular physiology is altered, or 2) why the neuronal networks behave differently.