Eric Melonakos

The Melonakos Lab is interested in 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. The lab uses modern neuroscience techniques, such as in vivo calcium imaging, optogenetics, electrophysiology, and computational tools, to investigate the origins and functions of synchronous neural activity in rodent models.