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College of Medicine: Department of Neuroscience

Sang-hun Lee, Ph.D.

Sang-hun Lee

Title
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Neurobiology & Developmental Sciences

Ph.D.
Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Post Doctoral Training
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of California, Irvine

Curriculum Vitae: pdf

Email: sanghunlee@uams.edu

Address: Office: Biomedical Research Building II – Room 341A-2
Mailing address: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 W. Markham, Slot 585
Little Rock, AR 72205

Phone: 501-686-7379

Major Interests

GABAergic interneurons, cannabinoid signaling system, epilepsy, and radiation neurobiology

Research Interests

I am interested in the functional organization of GABAergic inhibitory circuits in thalamocortical and hippocampal networks which regulate neural activity in normal and pathological conditions. My current research is focused on the hippocampal endocannabinoid signaling system, because hippocampal inhibitory activity is regulated by the endocannabinoid signaling system, and abnormal endocannabinoid signaling in the brain may be mechanistically connected to certain pathological conditions, such as epilepsy. My research team employs state-of-the-art techniques that include in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological, optogenetic, imaging, anatomical, molecular, and pharmacological techniques, using the mouse as a model. The team determines the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying normal and pathological network activity. Ultimately, our research aims to develop evidence-based targets for therapeutic treatments of seizures and cognitive deficits associated with epilepsy as well as other brain disorders.

Selected Publications

  • Kang Y.J., Lewis H.S., Young M.W., Govindaiah G., Greenfield L.J. Jr., Garcia-Rill E., and Lee S.H. (2018) Cell type-specific intrinsic perithreshold oscillations in hippocampal GABAergic interneurons, Neuroscience 376: 80-93.
  • Yang S., Govindaiah G., Lee S.H., Yang S., and Cox C.L. (2017) Distinct kinetics of inhibitory currents in thalamocortical neurons that arise from dendritic or axonal origin, PLoS One 12: e0189690.
  • Xiang Y., Tanaka Y., Patterson B., Kang Y.J., Govindaiah G., Roselaar N., Bilal C., Kim K.J., Lobroso A., Hwang S.M., Zhong M., Elefanty A., Naegele J.R., Lee S.H., Weissman S.M., and Park I.H. (2017) Fusion of regionally specified hPSC-derived organoids models human brain development and interneuron migration, Cell Stem Cell 21: 383-398.
  • *Highlighted in Previews, Cell Stem Cell, 21: 289-290.
  • Lee S.H.*, Dudok B, Parihar V.K., Jung K.M., Miklós Z., Kang Y.J., Maroso M., Alexander A.L., Nelson G.A., Piomelli D., Katona I., Limoli C.L., and Soltesz I. (2017) Neurophysiology of space travel: Energetic solar particles cause cell type-specific plasticity of neurotransmission, Brain Structure & Function 222: 2345-2357. *Corresponding author.
  • Armstrong C., Wang J., Lee S.Y., Broderick J., Bezaire M., Lee S.H., and Soltesz I. (2016) Target-selectivity of parvalbumin-positive interneurons in layer II of medial entorhinal cortex in normal and epileptic animals, Hippocampus 26: 779-793.
  • Maroso M., Szabo G.G., Kim H.K., Alexander A., Bui A., Lee S.H., Lutz B., and Soltesz I. (2016) Cannabinoid control of learning and memory through HCN channels, Neuron 89: 1059-1073. *Highlighted in Previews, Neuron, 89: 889-891.
  • Lee S.H.*, Ledri M.*, Tóth B.*, Marchionni I., Henstridge C. M., Dudok B., Kenesei K., Barna L., Szabó S.I., Renkecz T., and et al. (2015) Multiple forms of endocannabinoid and endovanilloid signaling regulate the tonic control of GABA release, Journal of Neuroscience 35: 10039-10057. *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • Soltesz I., Alger B., Kano M.,Lee S.H., Lovinger D., Ohno-Shosaku T., and Watanabe M. (2015) Weeding out bad waves: Towards selective cannabinoid circuit control in epilepsy, Nature Reviews Neuroscience 16: 264-277.
  • Dudok B., Barna L., Szabó S., Szabadits E., Pintér B., Woodhams S.G., Henstridge C.M., Balla G.Y., Nyilas R., Varga C., Lee S.H., and et al. (2015) Cell type-specific STORM superresolution imaging reveals nanoscale organization of cannabinoid signaling at hippocampal GABAergic synapses, Nature Neuroscience 18: 75-86.
  • Lee S.H.*, Marchionni I.*, Bezaire M., Varga C., Danielson N., Lovett-Barron M., Losonczy A., and Soltesz, I. (2014) Parvalbumin-positive basket cells differentiate among hippocampal pyramidal cells, Neuron 82: 1129-1244. *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • Ma R., Cui H., Lee S.H., Anastasio T.J., and Malpeli J.G. (2013) Predictive encoding of moving target trajectory by neurons in the parabigeminal nucleus, Journal of Neurophysiology 109: 2029-2043.
  • Krook-Magnuson E., Varga C., Lee S.H., and Soltesz I. (2012) New dimensions of interneuronal specialization unmasked by principal cell heterogeneity, Trends in Neurosciences 35: 175-184.
  • Krook-Magnuson E., Luu L., Lee S.H., Varga C., and Soltesz I. (2011) Ivy and neurogliaform interneurons are a major target of µ opioid receptor modulation, Journal of Neuroscience 31:14861-14870.
  • Lee S.H. and Soltesz I. (2011) Requirement for CB1 but not GABAB receptors in the cholecystokinin mediated inhibition of GABA release from cholecystokinin expressing basket cells, Journal of Physiology 589:891-902
  • Földy C., Lee S.H., Morgan R.J., and Soltesz I. (2010) Regulation of fast-spiking basket cell synapses by the chloride channel ClC2, Nature Neuroscience 13: 1047-1049.
    • *Highlighted in News and Views, Nature Neuroscience, 13: 1043-1044.
  • Lee S.H., Földy C., and Soltesz I. (2010) Distinct endocannabinoid control of GABA release at perisomatic and dendritic synapses in the hippocampus, Journal of Neuroscience 30: 7993-8000.
  • Lee S.H.*, Govindaiah G.*, and Cox C.L. (2010) Selective excitatory actions of DNQX and CNQX in rat thalamic neurons, Journal of Neurophysiology 103: 1728-1734. *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • Lee Y., Park E., Lee S.H., Kim Y.W. and Lee C.J. (2009) Ginsenoside Rg1 reduced spontaneous epileptiform discharges and behavioral seizure in the zebrafish, Journal of Ginseng Research 33(1): 48-54.
  • Lee S.H. and Cox C.L. (2008) Excitatory actions of peptide histidine isoleucine on thalamic relay neurons, Neuropharmacology 55: 1329-1339.
  • Lee S.H., Govindaiah G., and Cox C.L. (2007) Heterogeneity of firing properties among rat thalamic reticular nucleus neurons, Journal of Physiology 582: 195-208.
  • Lee S.H. and Cox C.L. (2006) Excitatory actions of vasoactive intestinal peptide on mouse thalamocortical neurons are mediated by VPAC2 receptors, Journal of Neurophysiology 96: 858-871.
  • Lee S.H. and Cox C.L. (2003) Vasoactive intestinal peptide selectively depolarizes thalamic relay neurons and attenuates intrathalamic rhythmic activity, Journal of Neurophysiology 90: 1224-1234.
  • Yang S.C, Lee S.H., Park J.K., Jung M.W., and Lee C.J. (2000) Ginsenoside Rb1 reduces spontaneous bursting activity in thalamocortical slices of the rat, Journal of Ginseng Research 24(3): 134-137.
  • Lee S.H., Yang S.C., Park J.K., Jung M.W., and Lee C.J. (2000) Reduction of electrically evoked neural activity by ginseng saponin in rat hippocampal slices, Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 23(4): 411-414.

Link to Dr. Lee’s PubMed publications