Recent Publications

• The IMPACT epilepsy Consortium: Exploring social drivers of health in epilepsy care to advance solution based initiatives
  RATIONALE: Social determinants of health (SDOH) are increasingly recognized as critical drivers of disparities in epilepsy care, yet systematic approaches to identifying and addressing social needs in clinical settings remain limited. The IMPACT Epilepsy Consortium conducted pilot surveys to characterize SDOH challenges faced by people with epilepsy (PwE) and the perspectives of clinicians who provide […]
• Hippocampal gene expression changes associated with sequential behavioral training in a temporal lobe epilepsy rat model
  The transcriptional mechanisms underlying impaired hippocampal-dependent memory seen in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) have been extensively studied in rodent models. While cognitive testing in these models often involves multiple behavioral tasks, the impact of sequential behavioral testing (SBT) on gene transcription changes in epilepsy remains poorly understood. This study utilized the Kainic Acid (KA) TLE […]
• Alterations in DNA 5-hydroxymethylation patterns in the hippocampus of an experimental model of chronic epilepsy
  Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a type of focal epilepsy characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures originating from the hippocampus. The epigenetic reprogramming hypothesis of epileptogenesis suggests that the development of TLE is associated with alterations in gene transcription changes resulting in a hyperexcitable network in TLE. DNA 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) is an epigenetic mechanism that has […]
• Aerobic exercise alters DNA hydroxymethylation levels in an experimental rodent model of temporal lobe epilepsy
  The therapeutic potential of aerobic exercise in mitigating seizures and cognitive issues in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is recognized, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Using a rodent TLE model induced by Kainic acid (KA), we investigated the impact of a single bout of exercise (i.e., acute) or 4 weeks of aerobic exercise […]
• Alterations in DNA 5-hydroxymethylation Patterns in the Hippocampus of an Experimental Model of Refractory Epilepsy
  Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a type of focal epilepsy characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures originating from the hippocampus. The epigenetic reprogramming hypothesis of epileptogenesis suggests that the development of TLE is associated with alterations in gene transcription changes resulting in a hyperexcitable network in TLE. DNA 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) is an epigenetic mechanism that has […]
• The lncRNA <em>Neat1</em> is associated with astrocyte reactivity and memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
  Dysregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the functional role of lncRNAs in AD remains unclear. Here, we report a crucial role for the lncRNA Neat1 in astrocyte dysfunction and memory deficits associated with AD. Transcriptomics analysis show abnormally high expression levels of NEAT1 in the brains of […]
• A Multicenter Allelic Analysis of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis: Nature Versus Nurture?
  CONCLUSION: We identified 5 SNPs in patients with DISH that occurred more frequently than a global reference. We also identified novel environmental associations. We hypothesize that DISH represents a heterogeneous condition with both multiple genetic and environmental influences.
• The impact of methodology on the reproducibility and rigor of DNA methylation data
  Epigenetic modifications are crucial for normal development and implicated in disease pathogenesis. While epigenetics continues to be a burgeoning research area in neuroscience, unaddressed issues related to data reproducibility across laboratories remain. Separating meaningful experimental changes from background variability is a challenge in epigenomic studies. Here we show that seemingly minor experimental variations, even under […]
• The epigenetics of memory storage in the brain
  Epigenetics has been proposed as a molecular mechanism involved in encoding long-term memories. Specifically DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism thought to be static following cell differentiation, has been implicated as a dynamic transcription regulatory mechanism underlying the process of longterm memory storage. Now recent findings published in Nature Neuroscience explore the possibility that stable DNA […]
• A putative role for lncRNAs in epigenetic regulation of memory
  The central dogma of molecular genetics is defined as encoded genetic information within DNA, transcribed into messenger RNA, which contain the instructions for protein synthesis, thus imparting cellular functionality and ultimately life. This molecular genetic theory has given birth to the field of neuroepigenetics, and it is now well established that epigenetic regulation of gene […]
• Ubiquitination of Histone H2B by Proteasome Subunit RPT6 Controls Histone Methylation Chromatin Dynamics During Memory Formation
  CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that H2B ubiquitination regulates histone crosstalk in learning by way of nonproteolytic proteasome function, demonstrating a novel mechanism by which histone modifications are coordinated in response to learning.
• Analysis of Blood DNA Methylation in Early-Life Seizures
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• Focused ultrasound blood brain barrier opening mediated delivery of MRI-visible albumin nanoclusters to the rat brain for localized drug delivery with temporal control
  There is an ongoing need for noninvasive tools to manipulate brain activity with molecular, spatial and temporal specificity. Here we have investigated the use of MRI-visible, albumin-based nanoclusters for noninvasive, localized and temporally specific drug delivery to the rat brain. We demonstrated that IV injected nanoclusters could be deposited into target brain regions via focused […]
• Epigenetic Therapeutic Intervention for a Rare Epilepsy Disorder
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• O-GlcNAc and EZH2-mediated epigenetic regulation of gene expression during consolidation of fear memories
  O-GlcNAcylation of serine/threonine residues on target proteins occurs dynamically in postmitotic neurons of the hippocampus and may serve to control both the stability and activity of target proteins. Remarkably, the addition and removal of the O-GlcNAc posttranslational modifications are catalyzed by a pair of enzymes, the O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). More than thousands […]
• The SETD6 Methyltransferase Plays an Essential Role in Hippocampus-Dependent Memory Formation
  CONCLUSIONS: Together, these findings suggest that SETD6 plays a critical role in memory formation and may act as an upstream initiator of H3K9me2 changes in the hippocampus during memory consolidation.
• Long noncoding RNA NEAT1 mediates neuronal histone methylation and age-related memory impairment
  Histone methylation is critical for the formation and maintenance of long-term memories. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are regulators of histone methyltransferases and other chromatin-modifying enzymes (CMEs), thereby epigenetically modifying gene expression. Here, we investigated how the lncRNA NEAT1 may epigenetically contribute to hippocampus-dependent, long-term memory formation using a combination of transcriptomics, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation, CRISPR-mediated […]
• Telencephalon transcriptome analysis of chronically stressed adult zebrafish
  Chronic stress leads to disruptions in learning and memory processes. The effects of chronic stress experience on the adult zebrafish brain, particularly the memory associated telencephalon brain region, is unclear. The goal of this study was to identify gene expression changes in the adult zebrafish brain triggered by chronic unpredictable stress. Transcriptome analysis of the […]
• Chromodomain Helicase DNA-Binding Protein 7 Is Suppressed in the Perinecrotic/Ischemic Microenvironment and Is a Novel Regulator of Glioblastoma Angiogenesis
  Tumorigenic and non-neoplastic tissue injury occurs via the ischemic microenvironment defined by low oxygen, pH, and nutrients due to blood supply malfunction. Ischemic conditions exist within regions of pseudopalisading necrosis, a pathological hallmark of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults. To recapitulate the physiologic microenvironment found in GBM tumors and […]
• Human and rodent temporal lobe epilepsy is characterized by changes in O-GlcNAc homeostasis that can be reversed to dampen epileptiform activity
  Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) is frequently associated with changes in protein composition and post-translational modifications (PTM) that exacerbate the disorder. O-linked-β-N-acetyl glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a PTM occurring at serine/threonine residues that is derived from and closely associated with metabolic substrates. The enzymes O-GlcNActransferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA) mediate the addition and removal, respectively, of the […]