1. What is your favorite part about neuromodulation work?
Ability to manipulate neural signals recorded directly from the brain and then see the positive outcomes reported by the patient and family members.
2. What is your favorite kind of neuromodulation technique and/or equipment and why?
Deep Brain Stimulation as we can translate this to clinical practice immediately and evaluate outcomes.
3. What kind of conditions do you treat with neuromodulation?
Epilepsy and its comorbidities including sleep disturbances, vigilance, and mood disturbances.
4. Any sparks of inspiration you would like to share?
Be motivated by the unmet clinical need and curiosity in understanding brain circuits.
5. What is your favorite part of the brain and why?
Thalamus - a nuclear complex of subcortical gray matter that in modern languages, like English or Spanish, means marriage bed.
6. Any exciting news or breakthroughs you'd like to share regarding your neuromodulation work?
Why do people with focal seizures lose awareness? Our work of the last 6 years highlights the complex interplay between thalamus and cortical structures during loss of awareness during focal seizures. We show that certain thalamic subnuclei are in a "sleep like state" while the patients are having focal seizures during wakefulness.
