Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Massimo Avoli. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.
Dr. Avoli’s laboratory employs electrophysiological and pharmacological molecular approaches to analyze the excitability of rodent forebrain experimental preparations in vivo and vitro. His studies focus on the interplay of inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms, especially related to the genesis and synchronicity of neuronal networks. The neuronal processes studied are thought to be fundamental for understanding the mechanisms underlying the generation of seizures in epileptic patients, which may lead to the development of new anti-epileptic strategies. Dr. Avoli is particularly interested in the pathophysiology of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, a common form of focal epilepsy in adulthood. Ongoing investigations center on the role of GABAA receptor-mediated signaling, neurosteroids, and high-frequency oscillations (80-500 Hz) during the activity of single cells in epileptogenesis and ictogenesis of focal epileptic disorders. He employs optogenetic protocols to test the hypothesis that activation of specific cell types leads to peculiar seizure onset patterns in vitro and vivo. These optogenetic procedures are designed to identify cellular processes that influence the halting of epileptogenesis. Dr. Avoli's studies originate from collaborations with colleagues at MNI, McGill University, Université de Montréal, and international researchers in Germany, Italy, and the USA.
Department: Department of Medicine. Program: Experimental Medicine.