OUR TEAM
Principal Investigator
As an Assistant Professor in Neurology and the MIND Institute at UC Davis and a first-generation immigrant, I lead a lab studying neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), with a focus on channelopathies. We combine patch-clamp electrophysiology, high-density microelectrode array recordings, and computational modeling to understand how mutations in genes associated with NDDs affect neuronal excitability and network dynamics.
Our approach links single-neuron properties to circuit-level disruptions. We use patch-clamp to characterize intrinsic neuronal properties, HD-MEAs to capture network activity, and biophysical models to bridge these scales. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to investigate how alterations in neuronal excitability lead to diverse neurological outcomes.
We aim to advance understanding of how genes shape neuronal networks and behavior, while working towards potential therapies. Our lab is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion, and we’re especially excited to work with students from varied backgrounds. We welcome those interested in combining experimental and computational neuroscience to tackle these complex disorders.
M.S., Neuroscience, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Isreal 2010
B.Sc., Ben-Gurion University, Be’er-Sheva, Israel 2005
Junior Specialist
I am a UC Davis alumnus with a degree in Cognitive Science, currently exploring neuronal stimulation in neurodevelopmental disorders. I am passionate about mentorship and active engagement in diversity, equity and inclusion practices. In my role, I manage, process, and analyze the electrophysiological data we have collected while also performing wet-lab techniques like animal dissections and tissue to cell dissociations. I am particularly interested in expanding into research areas involving immigrant families, such as the Filipino-American community, and exploring the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression in future studies.
PostDoc
I’m interested in making biophysically accurate computational neuronal models by improving the behavior of sodium channels using hidden markov models. I received my PhD from UC Davis in pharmacology and toxicology where I studied rare neurodevelopmental disorders in vivo and in vitro using genetic mouse models. I conducted behavioral pharmacology experiments to evaluate candidate therapeutics and characterized morphological and electrophysiological phenotypes of neurons in vitro using immunocytochemistry and microelectrode arrays (MEAs). I’m interested in bridging our computational simulations with our MEA phenotyping to develop new tools for drug development.
Graduate Student Researcher
I hold a master’s degree in Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics. My research focuses on using computational methods to study neurological disorders, especially through analyzing electrophysiological data. This work aims to uncover how neural mechanisms operate in these conditions, potentially guiding new treatments. My goal is to deepen our understanding of the brain and contribute meaningful insights into neuroscience.
Graduate Student Researcher
I received my B.S. in Genetics and Genomics from UC Davis where I studied the pathology of autism spectrum disorder and Fragile X syndrome using ex vivo human brain tissue. My current research focuses on the electrophysiological characterization of genetic neurodevelopmental disorders, e.g., CDKL5 deficiency disorder, ADNP syndrome, and KCNT1 disorder. My goal is to identify biomarkers that can be used to develop novel therapeutic approaches to improve the quality of life for patients.
Graduate Student Researcher
Student Assistant
I am a Senior year Computer Science and Engineering student at UC Davis. My role at the lab is to develop an efficient spike-sorting analysis pipeline using the supercomputers at NERSC and create a web-based platform using Plotly-Dash that allows the lab members to extract graphs for data visualization. My goal in the lab is to develop methods to help further understand neurodevelopmental disorders.