The long-term goal of Dr. Jokūbas Žiburkus’ laboratory research is to understand the mechanisms of neuronal interactions in health and disease and to devise novel and alternative therapeutic treatments for untreatable neurological disorders. The lab employs a multi-disciplinary approach that synthesizes in vitro neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, imaging, molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, and computational neuroscience. Using these techniques, Žiburkus is trying to understand alterations in single neurons and neural networks that lead to epileptic seizures, abnormal excitability in Alzheimer's disease, or occur following a traumatic brain injury. His lab has filed and continue developing patents for novel and combinatorial medications to treat neurological disorders, stroke, and even cancer. Recent work has focused on Dravet syndrome – a severe form of childhood epilepsy that is very hard to treat. Žiburkus is investigating how purines affect mortality, seizures, and other behavioral comorbidities in a transgenic mouse model of Dravet syndrome. He is also investigating other alternative compounds and their combinations for treatment of brain and heart hyperexcitability, seizure activity, and even cancer.