Mark A. Tanouye

Mark A. Tanouye is a Professor in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is affiliated with the Organisms and Environment Division and leads the Tanouye Lab, focusing on genetic approaches to study human neurological disorders using Drosophila as a model system. His research emphasizes epilepsy modeling, with particular interest in seizure mechanisms and drug discovery.

Education: Ph.D. Biology (Yale University, 1978), B.S. Biology (Stanford University, 1973).

Research Interests: Neurophysiology of insects, genetic analysis of epilepsy, Drosophila seizure models, ion channel dysfunction, and drug development for neurological disorders. Current projects include studying the role of potassium-chloride co-transporters in seizure susceptibility and exploring seizure-suppressor genes as anticonvulsant targets.

Lab & Teams: The Tanouye Lab uses electrophysiology, optical recording, and genetic tools to investigate epilepsy mechanisms. Collaborations focus on translating Drosophila findings into human therapies.