Ion channels generate electrical current signals in the nervous system and are central to our perception of ‘Who We are’. Anomalies in their function often lead to deleterious consequences in living organisms. In humans, more than 60 channelopathies, e.g. epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, cardiac arrhythmia etc., have been described which are due to mutations in ion channels and receptors that change their function. Ion channels are one of the major molecular targets of commercial drugs.

The ‘ion channel and receptor biology’ lab has been largely focused on the structure-function of ion channels and their implications in human pathophysiological conditions. The lab employs single channel and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, stochastic data analyses, kinetic modeling, protein engineering, molecular dynamics simulations, molecular biology, and transcriptomic tools to understand ion channel structure and function in various pathophysiological conditions.