Analysis of human brain samples withdraw during neocortical surgery using next generation RNA sequencing. This experiment follows the gene expression of human brain activity at various time points after surgical samplings and predict the human brain transcriptome in function of the post-mortem interval. Utilization of Neurology, Genomics, and Statistical Computing to design new medication for neurological disorders with a less invasive outcome for patients. Design of a new microscopic technique using fluorescence genomic probes to visualize RNA in cell.

Dr. Fozia Mir received her Ph.D. from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (India) and her postdoctoral training at the department of Pharmacology, UIC. Before joining the department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, Fozia worked as a Research Scientist at the Tisch MS research center of NY where her work focused on elucidating mechanisms of disease progression in multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Mir have a long-term research interest in understanding the molecular and cellular biology of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, with emphasis on biomarker discovery and identification of novel therapeutic targets.

Biswajit is a 4^th year PhD student in the Bioengineering program at UIC, focusing on exploring the functional relationship between epileptic spikes and seizures, and their dependence on structural connectivity of the brain regions. His work also focuses on the electrophysiological aspect of epileptogenesis in animal model of epilepsy. Previously, Biswajit has completed his undergraduate studies in Biotechnology from National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India, and gained several years of industry experience in Healthcare IT.

Following which, he pursued his MS in Bioengineering from UIC (mentors: Dr. Jeffrey Loeb/ Jim Patton). His current interests include statistical signal processing, graph theory, brain network study, machine learning, and database development for research. Given below are the links to know more about his work.

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Allison Kirchner is in her fourth year as a graduate student in the Loeb lab, sixth year as an MD/PhD student at UIC. In the Loeb Lab, Allison is interested in investigating the role of the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in epilepsy. Specifically, she is examining the endogenous regulation of the MAPK pathway in hopes to develop novel therapeutics for epilepsy treatment. Allison is also interested in investing the role and regulation of a type of non-coding RNA called long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in MAPK signaling and in epilepsy. In the future, Allison hopes to continue to researching cell signaling and the MAPK pathway during her residency and beyond.

Joseph is a 6th-year M.D./Ph.D. student working with Dr. Jeffrey Loeb and Dr. Fernando Testai (co-mentor) in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. Originally from New York, Joseph attended the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Geneseo, where he completed a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Spanish Language & Literature. Joseph conducted organic chemistry research in the laboratory of Professor Cristina Geiger, synthesizing and characterizing novel derivatives of benzimidazole compounds and studying their cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines. Joseph also completed a summer fellowship at Hunter College in New York City designing natural product antagonists to MDMA that bind serotonin and adrenergic receptors in the brain. In medical school, Joseph developed a passion for the field of neuroimmunology.

His current work focuses on neuroinflammation in the brain following SAH and how this drives the development of epileptic networks. In particular, Joseph is studying microglial activation in response to SAH and the role of various immune signaling molecules in contributing to poor outcome. Joseph is interested in pursuing a career in neurocritical care. Outside of the lab, Joseph is heavily involved in medical education and leadership at UICOM, having served as the President of the Chicago Medical Student Council (CMSC), a peer tutor for USMLE Step 1, and helped develop the UICOM Student Curricular Board (SCB). When not at work, Joe enjoys running and traveling.

Rachael is a fifth year MD/PhD student in the Loeb lab. She is using a rat model of epilepsy to study the mechanisms underlying interictal spike and seizure production. Specifically, she plans to investigate the relationship between MAP kinase activity and interictal spiking. Rachael hopes to continue her research by pursuing a career in Neurology.