To learn, study, and educate about ion channels and their role     in diseases known as Channelopathies

                Ion Channel Pharmacology (ICP) is a research and development enterprise involved in studying drugs that bring about their effects by modulating ion channel functions.  Most drugs, one way or another, modulate ion channels either by activating or blocking them.  Common examples are local anesthetics, such as lidocaine, bring about their actions by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels; antihypertensive and antiarrhythmic drugs block voltage-gated calcium channels; antianxiety drugs like diazepam (valium) potentiate gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) channel activity, and burning pain induced by capsaicin (ingredient in hot chili peppers) is due to activation of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) etc. The main focus of ICP at the moment is to understand the expression and function of ion channels involved in pain perception.  We have studied the structure and function of TRPV1 extensively using molecular and whole-animal behavioral approaches.