Alexander Rotenberg, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Rotenberg is a board-certified neurologist and epileptologist at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is also a professor of Neurology and the director of the Neuromoduation Program within the department of Neurology, at Boston Chidren's Hospital. Dr. Rotenberg and his team have developed novel methods for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In parallel to Dr. Rotenberg’s basic science experiments, the lab is enrolling participants into ongoing clinical trials aimed to further develop novel neurophysiologic techniques.

Henry Hing Cheong Lee, PhD

Senior Staff Scientist

Henry's projects in the Rotenberg lab focus on two pre-clinical research areas: (1) Developing enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and gene therapy for succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency (SSADHD). Using a newly constructed inducible mouse model of SSADHD (aldh5a1lox-rtTA-STOP) which allows ‘on-demand’ SSADH expression in a controllable and cell-specific fashion, Henry aims to determine the optimal parameters of safe SSADH restoration, to de-risk ERT and gene therapy for SSADHD patients. (2) Henry also studies the cellular mechanisms underlying post-traumatic epileptogenesis (PTE). He combines rodent models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and immunohistochemistry to understand the cellular deficits and their trajectories upon TBI, identifying novel pharmacotherapy targets for PTE prophylaxis and symptom reversal.

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Lna Ali

Clinical Research Specialist I

Lna is a researcher specializing in EEG analyses to explore the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes. Her work bridges cognitive neuroscience and clinical research, focusing on how EEG can reveal insights into brain activity during both typical and atypical cognitive functioning. Lna's research aims to contribute to the understanding of neurological conditions through advanced EEG techniques, with a particular interest in clinical applications for diagnosis and treatment.

In addition to EEG analysis, Lna helps operate the Experimental Neurophysiology Core (ENC) facility, which provides rodent EEG recording and analysis services to academic and industry partners for drug testing and target engagement in early drug discovery.

Hobbies: rock climbing, photography, hiking, and camping.

Elena Gori

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Manasvi Surapuraju

Research Assistant

Mana is a Research Assistant in the Rotenberg Lab and a 2025 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a B.S. in Biochemistry. Her research interests include understanding how disruptions in neuronal activity and excitatory–inhibitory balance contribute to neurological disorders. She performs molecular biology techniques such as plasmid DNA purification and gel electrophoresis. Her current project focuses on a novel AAV-based gene therapy using NPAS4 activity-dependent promoters and microRNA binding sites to selectively target overactive excitatory neurons with the goal of reducing seizure burden.

Shirzat Mushajiang

Research Assistant II

I am involved in animal-based research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), focusing on glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1/EAAT-2) and its role in excitatory neurotransmission after brain injury. My work includes EEG analysis following TBI to monitor seizure activity, as well as protein quantification and data analysis to investigate mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis and identify potential therapeutic strategies to improve neurological outcomes.

Jin Zijie

Research Assistant II

I conduct mouse perfusion and brain dissection for molecular and histological analysis in a gene therapy project targeting SSADH-induced epilepsy. A also maintain mouse colonies and genotype ALDH5A1, SLC6A1, and SCN1A mice for experimental studies. Additionally, I perform plasmid preparation (MaxiPrep) and DNA extraction for downstream applications; carry out protein analysis including Western blot to detect SSADH gene expression in treated Hom ALDH5A1 mice. I perform section mouse brain tissue and confocal microscopy imaging, along with performing qPCR to detect gene expression in treated SLC6A1 mice.