The brain is comprised of a diverse set of molecules, cells, and circuits that facilitate neuronal communication to generate a complex array of behaviors. Cell death and genetic changes accompanying neurological disease and aging can have a profound impact on the ability of cells to communicate, yet critical questions remain regarding the mechanisms by which these changes occur and how to ameliorate or prevent them. Ultimately, molecular and circuit dysfunction underlie all neurological disorders.

The Nguyen Lab aims to bridge our understanding of neural function and dysfunction at the level of molecules, cells, circuits, and behavior. We utilize techniques such as slice electrophysiology, in vivo silicon probe recording, 2-photon imaging, closed-loop optogenetics, EEG recording, and computational modeling in mice for our investigations.

A central focus of the lab is to understand mechanisms of hyperexcitability in the brain. Aberrant firing of neurons underlies many neurological disorders such as epilepsy. We have an interdisciplinary group of collaborators, including biochemists and bioengineers who develop tools to aid our basic science investigations as well as clinicians who help translate our basic insights from mouse to humans.