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Epilepsy is a serious neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide. While current treatments can help, about one-third of individuals with epilepsy continue to experience seizures despite taking medication. Many also face challenges beyond seizures, including memory problems and other cognitive difficulties that impact their quality of life.
To address these challenges, our lab investigates the biological mechanisms that drive epilepsy and its related cognitive symptoms. Our work focuses on the following areas:
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Sex Differences in Epilepsy Mechanisms
We study how males and females develop and maintain epilepsy through different molecular pathways. Using proteomics and multiplex ELISA analyses in both human and mouse blood and brain tissue, we've found sex-specific patterns that may help guide more personalized treatment approaches (see Pinzon-Hoyos et al., 2025 and Li et al., 2025).
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Complement System and Epilepsy Progression
We investigate how the immune complement system changes in the brain and blood during epilepsy. Our goal is to understand how these changes may drive disease progression and identify potential targets for therapy (see Schartz et al., 2018; 2019; 2023; 2024; Pinzon-Hoyos et al., 2025).
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Microglial Signaling and Synaptic Remodeling
We explore how microglia, the immune cells in the brain, contribute to changes in brain connectivity in epilepsy (Marchi and Brewster, 2024). We focus on key pathways involving CSF1R, TREM2, and mTOR.
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Alzheimer’s-Like Pathology in Epilepsy (see Aroor et al., 2023)
We are studying whether proteins typically associated with Alzheimer’s disease, like beta-amyloid and tau, play a role in the cognitive decline often seen in people with epilepsy.
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