Research Summary
The du Lac laboratory studies systems and cellular mechanisms of signaling and plasticity in cerebellar and brainstem circuits responsible for balance and eye movements. Experimental strategies taking advantage of mouse molecular genetic tools include quantitative behavioral analyses, optogenetic manipulation of specific neuronal populations, in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology, circuit tracing, and single cell gene expression profiling. Research into fundamental mechanisms of function, dysfunction, and plasticity in brainstem and cerebellar microcircuits aims to provide a foundation for improving clinical treatments of dizziness, balance disorders, and nystagmus.
Clinical Trials
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Selected Publications
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Kattah JC, Tehrani AS, du Lac S, Newman-Toker DE, Zee DS. Conversion of upbeat to downbeat nystagmus in Wernicke encephalopathy. Neurology. 2018 Oct 23;91(17):790-796. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000006385. PMID: 30348852
Nelson AB, Faulstich M, Moghadam S, Onori K, Meredith A, du Lac S. BK Channels Are Required for Multisensory Plasticity in the Oculomotor System. Neuron. 2017 Jan 4;93(1):211-220. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.019. Epub 2016 Dec 15. PMID: 27989457
Kim SH, Zee DS, du Lac S, Kim HJ, Kim JS. Nucleus prepositus hypoglossi lesions produce a unique ocular motor syndrome. Neurology. 2016 Nov 8;87(19):2026-2033. Epub 2016 Oct 12. PMID: 27733568
Ehmsen JT, Liu Y, Wang Y, Paladugu N, Johnson AE, Rothstein JD, du Lac S, Mattson MP, Hoke A. The astrocytic transporter SLC7A10 (Asc-1) mediates glycinergic inhibition of spinal cord motor neurons. Sci Rep. 2016 Oct 19;6:35592. doi: 10.1038/srep35592. PMID: 27759100
Bigelow RT, Semenov YR, Anson E, du Lac S, Ferrucci L, Agrawal Y. Impaired Vestibular Function and Low Bone Mineral Density: Data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2016 Oct;17(5):433-40. doi: 10.1007/s10162-016-0577-5. Epub 2016 Jul 22. PMID: 27447468