Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a major public health problem for both civilians and soldiers, accounting for approximately 20% of symptomatic epilepsy. Research into the mechanisms of this disease has lagged due to the lack of a useful animal model. The goal of this work is to develop a closed head injury model of PTE in a mouse strain that is amenable to genetic manipulation. This will facilitate elucidating the molecular mechanisms of post-traumatic epileptogenesis and lead to effective preventative therapy.