The Epilepsy and Brain Connectivity Laboratory

Welcome to the Epilepsy and Brain Connectivity Lab located in the department of Neurosurgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University. Our research interests follow two primary directions: first, we employ advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting state functional MRI (rsfMRI) to study the impact of neurological diseases on brain networks. Second, we apply electrophysiological techniques such as optogenetics, chemogenetics and calcium imaging that enable us to study the cellular mechanism and neuronal networks related to seizure disorders.

Recent News

Sun Lab Awarded NINDS R18 Grant through the BRAIN Initiative

We are excited to share that the Sun Lab has been awarded an R18 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as part of the BRAIN Initiative: Preclinical Proof of Concept for Novel Recording and Modulation Technologies in the Human CNS.

This award will support our project to develop a novel implantable device for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Drawing from our lab’s research into how seizures begin, this device is designed to predict seizures with greater accuracy and deliver targeted neurostimulation to prevent them before they occur. [NIH Project Announcement ]

Congratulations to Maxim Breakstone and Spencer Chen! A manuscript was just accepted for publication:

µFIX – Enabling Combinations of Concurrent Optogenetics and Lock-in Amplification Fiber Photometry via Removal of Optogenetic Stimulation Crosstalk. Breakstone, Maxim; Chen, Spencer; Vadapalli, Sreya; Chavez, Emmanuel; Parsonnet, Lauren; Gross, Robert; Tescarollo, Fabio; Barker, David; Sun, Hai, ACS Chemical Neuroscience [in press]

Recent Publications

Unilateral optogenetic kindling of hippocampus leads to more severe impairments of the inhibitory signaling in the contralateral hippocampus. F.C. Tescarollo, D. Valdivia, S. Chen, H. Sun*. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2023. [paper]

Ictogenesis proceeds through discrete phases in hippocampal CA1 seizures in mice. JS. Mueller, F.C. Tescarollo, T. Huynh, D. Brenner, D. Valdivia, K. Olagbegi, S. Sangappa, S. Chen, H. Sun. Nature Communications, 2023. [paper]

DREADDs in Epilepsy Research: Network-Based Review. JS. Mueller†, F.C. Tescarollo†, H. Sun*. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2022. [paper]

Research Study Volunteers Needed

If you have suffered traumatic brain injuries, have experienced seizures after brain trauma, or have been diagnosed with PTSD, please contact Dr. Hai Sun at hai.sun@rutgers.edu to find out whether you can be enrolled in our studies. You will be compensated for your time. [Learn More]