Welcome to the Isom Lab, established in 1995, in the Department of Pharmacology at Michigan Medicine. Our goal is to make Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) history by studying gene variants linked to developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, especially variants in genes encoding voltage-gated sodium channels. Our work uses human induced pluripotent stem cell neurons and cardiac myocytes as well as transgenic mouse and rabbit models. Our expertise includes electrophysiology, confocal imaging, genetics, and molecular and cellular biology techniques.

Latest News

Celebrating the wedding of Isom Lab alums, Sam and Nick!

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Isom Lab Alum, Dr. Jeff Calhoun, in the news!

https://news.feinberg.northwestern.edu/2026/07/27/study-iden…
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Read all Isom Lab news…

Research

Variants in ion channel genes can lead to neurological or cardiovascular diseases called channelopathies. Our work focuses on human variants in genes encoding voltage-gated sodium channel α and β subunits that lead to a devastating pediatric epileptic encephalopathy called Dravet syndrome, a disease with a high risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). We have proposed that SUDEP arises from simultaneous arrhythmias of brain and heart due to the expression of mutant sodium channel genes in both organs.  Our ultimate goals are to discover novel targets for epilepsy therapeutics and to identify biomarkers for SUDEP risk.

Isom Lab Members

Relentless in the pursuit of new cures

Lori L. Isom, PhD

Lori L. Isom, PhD

Chair, Department of Pharmacology, Maurice H. Seevers Collegiate Professor of Pharmacology, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Professor of Neurology

[email protected]

Jana Alkadri

Jana Alkadri

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Vikram Bagchi

Vikram Bagchi

Medical Scientists Training Program/Department of Pharmacology MD/PhD student

[email protected]

Shreeya Bakshi, PhD

Shreeya Bakshi, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Sebastian Casillas-Lopez

Sebastian Casillas-Lopez

UROP Student

[email protected]

Amanda Catalfio, PhD

Amanda Catalfio, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, Pharmacology

[email protected]

Chunling Chen, MD

Chunling Chen, MD

Assistant Research Scientist, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Yan Chen

Yan Chen

Research Lab Specialist Senior, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Krystal Santiago Colon

Krystal Santiago Colon

Graduate student, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Shailesh Gullipalli

Shailesh Gullipalli

Undergraduate Research Assistant

[email protected]

Molly Hoey

Molly Hoey

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Aazif Hussain

Aazif Hussain

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Luis Lopez-Santiago, PhD

Luis Lopez-Santiago, PhD

Associate Research Scientist, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Katelynn Luton

Katelynn Luton

Undergraduate Research Assistant

[email protected]

Sahana Macedo

Sahana Macedo

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Dyke P. McEwen, PhD

Dyke P. McEwen, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Daeun Nam

Daeun Nam

Pharmacology Masters Student

[email protected]

Sarah Nelson

Sarah Nelson

Undergraduate Research Assistant

[email protected]

Samantha Thompson, PhD

Samantha Thompson, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Shuyun Wang, MD, PhD

Shuyun Wang, MD, PhD

Research Lab Specialist Senior, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Yukun Yuan, MD, PhD

Yukun Yuan, MD, PhD

Associate Research Scientist, Department of Pharmacology

[email protected]

Publications

Click here to view Lori Isom’s publications on PubMed.

Click here to view Lori Isom’s publications on Google Scholar.

Open Positions

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

GRADUATE STUDENTS
Dr. Isom belongs to several Michigan Ph.D. training programs, including Pharmacology, Neuroscience, CMB, and Molecular and Integrative Physiology. If interested in a research rotation, please send her an e-mail at [email protected].

UNDERGRADUATES
Please send an e-mail with a short note about your interest in our lab, your CV, and a transcript to Dr. Isom at [email protected].

STAFF

Photos

Contact

Isom Laboratory
Department of Pharmacology
University of Michigan Medical School

2301E MSRB III (office)
2200 MSRB III (lab)
1150 W. Medical Center Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5632

734-936-3050 (office)
734-936-3043 (lab)

Department of Pharmacology Website: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/pharmacology

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Funding Partners

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