Although epilepsy affects millions of people, we still do not fully understand what triggers a seizure to begin. Understanding seizure initiation is particularly important in severe genetic epilepsies such as Dravet syndrome, where seizures can be frequent and difficult to control.
To address this, Dr. Niemeyer’s work seeks to uncover exactly where and how seizures begin within networks in the brain. Using larval zebrafish, his team will observe and manipulate the activity of thousands of cells across the entire brain simultaneously as a seizure develops. This unique advantage will help identify and characterize the very first cells and networks involved and determine how seizures spread, which is not possible in traditional animal models.
By studying both acute seizures and Dravet syndrome, Dr. Niemeyer hopes to uncover new cellular and network targets for therapies.
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