Zempel Lab

John Zempel, MD, PhD

The Zempel lab aims to enhance seizure localization and damage assessment through advanced imaging techniques and new contrast agents, while also advancing the quantitative analysis of brain activity for more effective epilepsy surgery evaluation.

As a pediatric epileptologist, Zempel’s research goal is to improve the localization of neuronal activity through new imaging modalities that are translatable to humans. By studying a model system of partial seizures, which has been adapted to the magnetic resonance environment, his team can measure electrical signals concurrently with imaging. Using both conventional and newly developed magnetic resonance techniques, Zempel and his colleagues have localized ongoing seizure activity and characterized the damage resulting from seizures. Additionally, they are characterizing and utilizing new magnetic resonance contrast agents to localize seizure activity, aiming to make significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy.

A second focus of Zempel’s research is the quantitative characterization of electrical activity directly recorded from the human brain during epilepsy surgery evaluations. The increasing availability of computational power makes it possible to analyze brain activity characteristics within the time frame of the surgery evaluation. These techniques focus on detecting and predicting seizures, as well as characterizing zones of abnormal brain tissue.

Principal investigator

Our team

Recent publications

Complete research profile