Epileptic encephalopathies are a group of devastating pediatric neurological disorders, manifesting with aggressive seizures and significant neurological comorbidities. Despite the rapid progress in identifying the genetic causes of epileptic encephalopathies, our understanding of the underlying pathogeneses remains limited, which hinders the development of new therapeutic interventions. Dr. Xue’s team aims to generate and validate novel mouse models of epileptic encephalopathies. They will utilize these models to understand how genetic deficits alter synaptic functions and cortical circuits, and to determine the reversibility of the neurological phenotypes in adulthood.