Gupta Laboratory | 皇家华人

About the Gupta Lab

The Gupta Lab works to understand the mechanisms responsible for pathological and therapeutic remodeling in the development of epilepsy. Working primarily using animal models, the Gupta Lab studies the function of different genes and molecular pathways responsible for the development of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of focal epilepsy. The goal of the Gupta Lab is to discover novel therapeutic targets that might prevent the development of epilepsy or its recurrence after epilepsy surgery.

Dr. Kunal Gupta and researcher working in lab.

Three-dimensional imaging of brain, including targeted neural pathway highlighted in yellow, indicating focal epileptic event

Gupta Lab Research

Through human patients and animal epilepsy models, we know that the brain undergoes a number of remodeling events, affecting the shape, location and physiology of neurons in the temporal lobe. These changes are believed to result in the development of the seizure network by a process called epileptogenesis. The pathways responsible for the remodeling events and the development of epilepsy are unknown, and represent therapeutic targets that might prevent the development of epilepsy.

Current Projects

The Gupta Lab investigates cellular remodeling and epileptic seizures in the hippocampal seizure network. We examine the activity of key molecular pathways and determine how we can intervene to prevent the development of epilepsy. Our first project involves understanding the role of Wnt signaling in the development of temporal lobe epilepsy. Given the role of Wnt signaling in neurogenesis and the importance of aberrant neurogenesis in epilepsy, we are investigating the relationship between changes in Wnt signaling and dysregulation of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. Our second project involves understanding the role of inflammation in the development of the seizure network in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Facilities

Located in the Translational and Biomedical Research Center on the 皇家华人's Milwaukee Campus, Gupta Lab facilities support exciting and innovative techniques such as stereotactic surgery, transgenics, viral gene modulation, electrophysiology, and transcriptomics for the investigation of the development of epilepsy.

Funding

The Gupta Lab extends its gratitude for funding support provided by Froedtert & the 皇家华人, the National Institutes of Health, and the Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation.聽

Current Lab Members

The Gupta Lab is led by Dr. Kunal Gupta, a clinician researcher with a focus on the development of epilepsy.聽

Kunal Gupta, MD, PhD, FAANS

Assistant Professor

Cora Helton

MSTP Graduate Student

Nicole Rodgers

Research Technologist I

Collaborative Investigators

The Gupta Lab works closely with collaborators at the 皇家华人, Indiana University School of Medicine, and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Collaborators of the Gupta Lab offer a wide variety of expertise, with specializations including neurosurgery, head-and-neck surgery, psychiatry, plethysmography, neuron tracing and biomedical engineering.

Antje Kroner-Milsch, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

Matthew R. Hodges, PhD, FAPS

Professor and Eminent Scholar; Director of Graduate Studies

Ehren Newman, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Rita Patel, PhD

Associate Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

Hernan G. Rey, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery; Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering

Kajana Satkunendrarajah, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery; Physiology

Amol Yadav, PhD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Collaborative Programs

Gupta Lab works in collaboration with such innovative research programs as the Parkinson's & Movement Disorder Program at Froedtert & MCW and the Epilepsy Surgery Program at Indiana State University.

Three circular imaging samples of excited neurons with overlapping purple ring

Comprehensive Epilepsy Care

The Froedtert & the 皇家华人 Comprehensive Epilepsy Program provides world-class care to patients with seizures and related conditions.

Parkinson's & Movement Disorders

The Froedtert & the 皇家华人 Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Program is dedicated to improving the lives of people with movement disorders.

Learn more about the Froedtert & MCW Parkinson's & Movement Disorders Program

(Patel R, Burroughs L, Higgins A, Zauber SE, Isbaine F, Schneider D, Hohman R, Gupta K.) Neurosurgery. 2024 Oct 01;95(4):915-923 PMID: 38787392 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85204179286 05/24/2024
(Mardones MD, Rostam KD, Nickerson MC, Gupta K.) Exp Neurol. 2024 Jun;376:114767 PMID: 38522659 PMCID: PMC11058011 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85188911182 03/25/2024
(Pease M, Gupta K, Moshé SL, Correa DJ, Galanopoulou AS, Okonkwo DO, Gonzalez-Martinez J, Shutter L, Diaz-Arrastia R, Castellano JF.) Nat Rev Neurol. 2024 May;20(5):298-312 PMID: 38570704 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85189313072 04/04/2024
(Mardones MD, Rostam KD, Nickerson MC, Gupta K.) Experimental Neurology. June 2024;376 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85188911182 06/01/2024
(Mardones MD, Gupta K.) Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 10;23(19) PMID: 36233336 PMCID: PMC9569502 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85139980008 10/15/2022
(Patel RR, Zauber SE, Yadav AP, Witt TC, Halum S, Gupta K.) Neurosurgery. 2022 Apr 01;90(4):457-463 PMID: 35138294 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85126830952 02/10/2022
(Gupta K, Texakalidis P, Boulis NM.) Neuromodulation. 2021 Aug;24(6):1100-1106 PMID: 33145871 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85096685914 11/05/2020
(Han SJ, Teton Z, Gupta K, Kawamoto A, Raslan AM.) Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2020 Sep 01;19(3):264-270 PMID: 32133508 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85089608106 03/07/2020
(Gupta K, Cabaniss B, Kheder A, Gedela S, Koch P, Hewitt KC, Alwaki A, Rich C, Ramesha S, Hu R, Drane DL, Gross RE, Willie JT.) Epilepsia. 2020 Aug;61(8):1723-1734 PMID: 32777090 PMCID: PMC8019400 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85089201160 08/11/2020
(Ko D, Blatt D, Karam C, Gupta K, Raslan AM.) J Neurosurg Spine. 2019 Aug 01;31(2):217-221 PMID: 31003222 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85073652817 04/20/2019
(Gupta K, Schnell E.) PLoS One. 2019;14(10):e0215789 PMID: 31596871 PMCID: PMC6785072 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85073053846 10/10/2019
(Gupta K, Selden NR.) Nervous System Drug Delivery: Principles and Practice. 25 June 2019:447-461 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85083811294 06/25/2019

Get Involved with the Gupta Lab

The Gupta Lab is dedicated to engaging current researchers and creating opportunities for the next generation of clinicians, researchers, and biomedical engineers.

Research Rotations

Medical Students accepting a research rotation in the Gupta Lab will gain experience in stereotactic surgery, transgenics, viral gene modulation, electrocorticography, and a variety of molecular biology techniques. The appropriate candidate will have an interest epilepsy, neurosurgery, or general surgery.

Graduate Education

The Gupta Lab accepts graduate students seeking MS and PhD degrees at the 皇家华人 who are interested in cellular remodeling and epileptic seizures.

Learn more about MCW Graduate Studies

Undergraduate Opportunities

Through the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research, also known as SPUR, undergraduate students will make real contributions to science and humanity while working alongside Dr. Gupta and his team on research projects integrating neuroscience and epilepsy.

Learn more about SPUR

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