Welcome to the Melonakos Lab
Our Research Focus
One of the most enigmatic questions in science is how neural activity gives rise to consciousness. General anesthesia and sleep are two states defined by a reversible loss of consciousness, making them useful tools for studying which neural features are necessary to generate the conscious state. Synchronous neural activity is a hallmark of general anesthesia and sleep. However, the mechanisms and functions of synchronous neural activity under these and other states remain incompletely understood.
My lab uses modern neuroscience techniques, such as in vivo calcium imaging, optogenetics, electrophysiology, and computational models, to investigate the origins and functions of synchronous neural activity in rodent models. Recent projects seek to link individual-neuron-level activity of genetically distinct cortical neurons with aggregate activity recorded from large populations of neurons during sleep and administration of different general anesthetics. We also investigate the effects of local brain manipulations (e.g., stimulation of brainstem arousal areas) on synchronous activity and their potential to control levels of consciousness. Our research has potential to improve clinical monitoring during anesthesia and guide development of sleep aids that mimic natural sleep.
Dr. Eric Melonakos
Office: LSB 3017
Lab: LSB 3041
eric.melonakos@byu.edu
Cell Biology and Physiology Assistant Professor