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Imran Quraishi, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Contact Information

Imran Quraishi, MD, PhD

Mailing Address

  • Neurology

    P.O. Box 208018, Yale Epilepsy Center

    New Haven, CT 06520-8018

    United States

Yale Medicine

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Research Summary

I am an epileptologist interested in ion channels in epilepsy. I use a combination of cellular electrophysiology, animal models, and computational simulations to study epilepsy-associated potassium channels. I am also interested in applications of technology such as medical devices to epilepsy care.

Extensive Research Description

Potassium channels in epilepsy

  • Recordings of mutant and wild type Slack (KCNT1) neuronal potassium currents in different types of neurons and induced pluripotent stem cells.
  • EEG and behavioral tests in animal models derived from patients with epilepsy-associated potassium channel mutations to characterize seizures, learning abnormalities, and the response to new drugs.
  • Computational models of epilepsy to determine the effects of changes in ion channel function on seizure initiation and dynamics.

Clinical projects

  • Analysis of data from the NeuroPace responsive neurostimulator (RNS), a pacemaker-like device that is implanted into the brain to treat epilepsy.
  • Use of intracranial EEG from surgical epilepsy patients and from RNS to study cognitive neuroscience of language and memory.
  • NeuroNext fellowship to use ambulatory intracranial EEG biomarkers for seizure forecasting.
  • Setting up magnetoencephalography (MEG) to understand epilepsy networks.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Biomedical Engineering; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Ion Channels; Neurosciences; Seizures; Computational Biology; Channelopathies; Cognitive Neuroscience

Selected Publications

  • Patient-detectable responsive neurostimulation as a seizure warning system.Quraishi IH, Hirsch LJ. Patient-detectable responsive neurostimulation as a seizure warning system. Epilepsia 2021, 62: e110-e116. PMID: 34018182, PMCID: PMC8629031, DOI: 10.1111/epi.16933.
  • Miglustat Therapy for SCARB2-Associated Action Myoclonus-Renal Failure Syndrome.Quraishi IH, Szekely AM, Shirali AC, Mistry PK, Hirsch LJ. Miglustat Therapy for SCARB2-Associated Action Myoclonus-Renal Failure Syndrome. Neurology. Genetics 2021, 7: e614. PMID: 34337151, PMCID: PMC8320328, DOI: 10.1212/NXG.0000000000000614.
  • Gerstmann Syndrome Deconstructed by Cortical Stimulation.Vaddiparti A, McGrath H, Benjamin CF, Sivaraju A, Spencer DD, Hirsch LJ, Damisah E, Quraishi IH. Gerstmann Syndrome Deconstructed by Cortical Stimulation. Neurology 2021, 97: 420-422. PMID: 34187861, DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012441.
  • Electrical cortical stimulation can impair production of the alphabet without impairing counting.Rojas PH, Sivaraju A, Quraishi IH, Vanderlind M, Rofes A, Połczynska-Bletsos MM, Spencer DD, Hirsch LJ, Benjamin CFA. Electrical cortical stimulation can impair production of the alphabet without impairing counting. Epilepsy & Behavior Reports 2021, 15: 100433. PMID: 33778464, PMCID: PMC7985277, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2021.100433.
  • Responsive NeurostimulationGummadavelli A, Quraishi IH, Gerrard JL. Responsive Neurostimulation. In: Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Nader Pouratian and Sameer Sheth (Eds). 2020. Springer, Cham
  • Early detection rate changes from a brain-responsive neurostimulation system predict efficacy of newly added antiseizure drugs.Quraishi IH, Mercier MR, Skarpaas TL, Hirsch LJ. Early detection rate changes from a brain-responsive neurostimulation system predict efficacy of newly added antiseizure drugs. Epilepsia 2020, 61: 138-148. PMID: 31849045, PMCID: PMC7003822, DOI: 10.1111/epi.16412.
  • Impaired motor skill learning and altered seizure susceptibility in mice with loss or gain of function of the Kcnt1 gene encoding Slack (KNa1.1) Na+-activated K+ channels.Quraishi IH, Mercier MR, McClure H, Couture RL, Schwartz ML, Lukowski R, Ruth P, Kaczmarek LK. Impaired motor skill learning and altered seizure susceptibility in mice with loss or gain of function of the Kcnt1 gene encoding Slack (KNa1.1) Na+-activated K+ channels. Scientific Reports 2020, 10: 3213. PMID: 32081855, PMCID: PMC7035262, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60028-z.
  • An Epilepsy-Associated KCNT1 Mutation Enhances Excitability of Human iPSC-Derived Neurons by Increasing Slack KNa Currents.Quraishi IH, Stern S, Mangan KP, Zhang Y, Ali SR, Mercier MR, Marchetto MC, McLachlan MJ, Jones EM, Gage FH, Kaczmarek LK. An Epilepsy-Associated KCNT1 Mutation Enhances Excitability of Human iPSC-Derived Neurons by Increasing Slack KNa Currents. The Journal Of Neuroscience : The Official Journal Of The Society For Neuroscience 2019, 39: 7438-7449. PMID: 31350261, PMCID: PMC6759030, DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1628-18.2019.
  • Impairment of consciousness induced by bilateral electrical stimulation of the frontal convexity.Quraishi IH, Benjamin CF, Spencer DD, Blumenfeld H, Alkawadri R. Impairment of consciousness induced by bilateral electrical stimulation of the frontal convexity. Epilepsy & Behavior Case Reports 2017, 8: 117-122. PMID: 29204347, PMCID: PMC5707211, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebcr.2017.09.006.
  • Hypothermia associated with clobazam use in adult epilepsy.Gauthier AC, Quraishi IH, Mattson RH. Hypothermia associated with clobazam use in adult epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior Case Reports 2016, 5: 17-8. PMID: 26870662, PMCID: PMC4739151, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebcr.2016.01.002.
  • Human slack potassium channel mutations increase positive cooperativity between individual channels.Kim GE, Kronengold J, Barcia G, Quraishi IH, Martin HC, Blair E, Taylor JC, Dulac O, Colleaux L, Nabbout R, Kaczmarek LK. Human slack potassium channel mutations increase positive cooperativity between individual channels. Cell Reports 2014, 9: 1661-1672. PMID: 25482562, PMCID: PMC4294418, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.11.015.
  • Suppression of Kv3.3 channels by antisense oligonucleotides reverses biochemical effects and motor impairment in spinocerebellar ataxia type 13 mice.Zhang Y, Quraishi IH, McClure H, Williams LA, Cheng Y, Kale S, Dempsey GT, Agrawal S, Gerber DJ, McManus OB, Kaczmarek LK. Suppression of Kv3.3 channels by antisense oligonucleotides reverses biochemical effects and motor impairment in spinocerebellar ataxia type 13 mice. FASEB Journal : Official Publication Of The Federation Of American Societies For Experimental Biology 2021, 35: e22053. PMID: 34820911, PMCID: PMC8630780, DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101356R.

Clinical Trials

ConditionsStudy Title
Diseases of the Nervous System; Mental Health & Behavioral ResearchSV2A PET Imaging in Healthy Subjects and Epilepsy Patients
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