Research
The mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction in the basal ganglia and cortex in neurodegenerative disorders
Appointments
- Chair, Interdepartmental Undergraduate Program
- Professor, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
- Professor in Residence, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
- Member, Center for Developmental Neurobiology (IDDRC)
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Studies
- Neuroengineering Training Program
- Neuroscience GPB Home Area
Biography
Our primary research interests are directed toward understanding the mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction in the basal ganglia and cortex in neurodegenerative disorders. The research consists of a multidisciplinary approach combining neurophysiological, morphological and molecular techniques. This research has evolved into several major projects:
- Examining the physiological changes in mutant mouse models of Huntington’s disease;
- Assessment of neuromodulation in the striatum as it pertains to Parkinson’s disease and assessment of new genetic mouse models of Parkinson’s disease;
- Examining cellular cortical electrophysiological and morphological abnormalities occurring in children suffering from intractable pediatric epilepsy.
Publications
- Hauptman, JS, Antonios, J, Mathern, GW, Levine, MS, Cepeda, C. Chronic Rapamycin Prevents Electrophysiological and Morphological Alterations Produced by Conditional Pten Deletion in Mouse Cortex. Cells. 2025;14 (2):. doi: 10.3390/cells14020079. PubMed PMID:39851507 PubMed Central PMC11764219.
- Johnson, ANT, Huang, J, Marishta, A, Cruz, ER, Mariossi, A, Barshop, WD et al.. Sensitive and Accurate Proteome Profiling of Embryogenesis Using Real-Time Search and TMTproC Quantification. Mol Cell Proteomics. 2024;24 (2):100899. doi: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2024.100899. PubMed PMID:39725028 .
- Cepeda, C, Holley, SM, Barry, J, Oikonomou, KD, Yazon, VW, Peng, A et al.. Corticostriatal maldevelopment in the R6/2 mouse model of juvenile Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis. 2025;204 :106752. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106752. PubMed PMID:39644979 .
- Cepeda, C, Holley, SM, Barry, J, Oikonomou, KD, Yazon, VW, Peng, A et al.. Corticostriatal Maldevelopment in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Juvenile Huntington's Disease. bioRxiv. 2024; :. doi: 10.1101/2024.10.15.618500. PubMed PMID:39464124 PubMed Central PMC11507867.
- Todorov, LG, Oonuma, K, Kusakabe, TG, Levine, MS, Lemaire, LA. Neural crest lineage in the protovertebrate model Ciona. Nature. 2024;635 (8040):912-916. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08111-7. PubMed PMID:39443803 .