Justin Botterill

Dr. Justin Botterill serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Saskatchewan, where he leads a neuroscience research program investigating hippocampal circuits in behavioral disorders and epilepsy. His work bridges molecular, circuit, and behavioral levels to address fundamental questions in cognitive neuroscience and neurological disease mechanisms.

Dr. Botterill's academic journey includes:

• BSc (High Honours) in Psychology, University of Saskatchewan
• PhD in Cognition and Neuroscience, University of Saskatchewan
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute & NYU Langone Health

His research program focuses on dentate gyrus circuitry with dual emphases: 1) Mossy cell regulation of cognitive/affective behaviors using optogenetics and behavioral pharmacology, and 2) Temporal lobe epilepsy mechanisms through EEG, circuit manipulations, and therapeutic testing. The lab employs transgenic models to dissect specific cell populations' roles in seizure generation and cognitive comorbidities, addressing critical gaps in treatment-resistant epilepsy.

Analysis of his 2020-2024 publications reveals consistent focus on hippocampal microcircuitry in disease models, with increasing emphasis on sex differences and therapeutic interventions. His work spans molecular neuroscience, systems-level circuit analysis, and behavioral phenotyping, frequently appearing in top-tier journals like eLife and The Journal of Neuroscience.

Key recognitions include:

• Cover article designation in The Journal of Neuroscience (2021)
• Multiple eNeuro features (homepage cover, blog highlight, featured research)
• Society for Neuroscience Zoom Background Images feature

Dr. Botterill actively mentors graduate students through direct supervision of experimental design, technical skill development, and manuscript preparation. His recruitment notice specifically seeks students interested in behavioral neuroscience and epilepsy research, indicating robust lab funding and project continuity. The lab's multidisciplinary approach fosters strong publication output with clear translational pathways.

Located in the Health Sciences Building (Lab: GD10 HLTH), the Botterill Lab maintains state-of-the-art facilities for rodent behavioral testing, circuit manipulation, and neural recording. The team collaborates extensively with epilepsy clinicians and computational neuroscientists to bridge basic research and clinical applications, with particular focus on developing targeted interventions for treatment-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy.