Karen Wilcox, Ph.D.

Dr. Karen Wilcox studies viral and immune contributions to the development of temporal lobe epilepsy and created the first animal model of viral-induced epilepsy. In this project, she investigates how increases in calcium and the release of the inflammation protein TNFα from microglia may contribute to the generation of seizures, following viral infections of the CNS. By elucidating the cellular mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis, this work will inform the development of novel therapeutic interventions for preventing infection-induced epilepsy.