Biomarkers of epileptogenesis and epilepsy disease progression

A biomarker is an objectively measured characteristic of a normal or pathologic biological process. The development of novel interventions to treat, cure, and prevent epilepsy would benefit greatly from the identification and validation of such biomarkers. In addition, identification of biomarkers may facilitate the development of novel interventions to prevent epilepsy, reverse progression of epilepsy, and potentially even cure epilepsy after it is established. This project will investigate blood- and brain-derived biomarkers of epileptogenesis (the development of epilepsy) and of disease progression of epilepsy using small animal models. Four different projects that investigate biomarkers of epilepsy are available. Skills: The skills expected to be learnt from this project include: Small animal handling and neurosurgery (electrode implantations), models of acquired epilepsy, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection, EEG recordings and analysis, biochemical and molecular analysis (genotyping, subcellular fractionation, qPCR, histology, western blotting), magnetic resonance imagining interpretation and analysis.