Dr Géza Berecki
PhD

My research is focused on ion channel physiology, ion channel pharmacology, and intracellular signalling. Currently, I study the contribution of ion channel dysfunction to neuronal excitability in genetic epilepsies using various model systems such as patient-derived stem cell neurons, mammalian cells, and transgenic mice.

During my previous appointments, I investigated the mechanism of action of synthetic conotoxins targeting ion channels and receptors and modulation of ion channels via G protein-coupled receptor signalling. This research resulted in patenting of a number of synthetic peptides for the management of neuropathic pain.

As an early-career postdoctoral fellow, I have been involved in cardiac cellular electrophysiology studies and contributed to the cardiac ion channel research field by developing the dynamic action potential clamp technique. Currently, I am implementing this approach for modeling neurophysiological consequences of voltage-gated ion channel mutations in epilepsy.

Dynamic-clamp analysis provides clear benefits over conventional voltage clamp for a rapid and definitive prediction ofneuron-scale phenotypic consequences, and is well positioned to impact diagnosis and drug discovery in genetic epilepsy.