The Liou Lab investigates the mechanisms of anesthetic-induced brain activity, with the goal of identifying novel applications of anesthetics for understanding and managing neuropsychiatric disorders. Our research integrates electrophysiological, optical, and computational modeling approaches. The lab primarily uses transgenic mouse models, studied using widefield calcium imaging, multiphoton microscopy, and in vivo extracellular electrophysiology. Our laboratory currently focuses on two major research directions.
1. Anesthesia, Consciousness, and Sleep: Exploring Brain States
Investigating how anesthesia and natural sleep influence brain activity, with a focus on slow waves and their role in maintaining excitatory-inhibitory balance.
2. Epilepsy and Neural Network Dynamics: Understanding and Intervening
Studying how neocortical networks evolve during epileptogenesis, focusing on activity patterns, connectivity, and the transition to chronic seizures, with potential therapeutic approaches.