Education Programs
H. Jurgen Wenzel, D.Sc., M.D.
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Clinical/Research InterestsDr. Wenzel is a world leader in the field of neuroanatomy. He has received many awards for his teaching and research, which focuses on brain plasticity and neurological disorders, especially the neuropathologies associated with epilepsy. Dr. Wenzel, a highly sought invited lecturer and visiting professor throughout the United States and in Europe, has made more than 200 scientific presentations at national and international meetings. He also has published prolifically - more than 100 peer-reviewed articles - and has received continuous funding for his research. Dr. Wenzel's research interests focus on the basic mechanisms of brain development, plasticity and epileptogenesis within the context of pediatric epilepsies - in particular, pathogenesis of focal epilepsies/cortical dysplasia and their consequences in the developing brain. In collaboration with Dr. Schwartzkroin's laboratory, his research focuses on the relationships of brain plasticity and neurological disorders (epilepsy), with a particular emphasis on neuropathologies in the developing brain. The major questions in their current research are: (1) How do developmental brain abnormalities cause seizures and epilepsy? They use animal models (in vivo and in vitro) of cortical dysplasia (e.g., p35 knock-out mice) and tuberous sclerosis (e.g., Eker rat) to study the pathogenesis of brain abnormalities as the underlying basis of the neurological disorder associated with epilepsy in humans. (2) How do genes contribute to seizure susceptibility and subsequent epileptogenesis? They use animal models that carry a deletion or modification in a gene of interest to study genetically determined early developmental effects and pathologies underlying epileptogenesis/epilepsy. These studies include gene replacement protocols to affect/reduce seizure activity. (3) How do traumatic brain injuries (including environmental insults) early in development cause "post-traumatic epilepsy?" They are developing an animal model of post-traumatic epilepsy in order to address specific questions regarding the developmental stage of the injury, the involvement of genes, neuronal and glial vulnerability, and reorganization. |
Title: |
Adjunct Professor |
Specialty: |
Neurological Surgery |
Other Languages: |
German |
Education: |
Humboldt University, Charite Berlin Germany D.Sc. 1975 Humboldt University, Charite Berlin Germany M.D. 1963 |
Internships: |
Humboldt University, Charite Berlin Germany 1959-1961 Clinics of Charite- Hospital |
Residency: |
Humboldt University, Charite Berlin Germany 1962-1966 Institute of Anatomy, Clinics for Internal Medicine and Oncology (Surgery) |
Fellowships: |
UC Irvine, Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Irvine, California 1983 Brain Research Academy of Medical Sciences, Brain Research Institute Moscow Russia 1972-1973 Brain Research, Neuroanatomy/Pathology Semmelweis University, Institute of Antomy Budapest Hungary 1969 Neuroanatomy Humboldt University, Charite, Institute of Pathology Berlin Germany 1966-1970 Electron Microscopy/Histochemistry |
Professional Memberships: |
American Epilepsy Society International Brain Research Organization Society for Neuroscience |
Select Recent Publications: |
Wenzel H.J., and Schwartzkroin P.A. (2009) Structural abnormalities associated with genetic epilepsies. In Schwartzkroin P.A. (ed): The encyclopedia of basic epilepsy research. Esevier AP, San Diego (in press). Wenzel H.J., Vacher H., Clark E., Trimmer J.S., Lee A.L., Sapolsky R.M., Tempel B.L., Schwartzkroin P.A. (2007) Structural consequences of Kcna1 gene deletion and transfer in the mouse hippocampus. Epilepsia 48:2023-2026. (doi:10.1111/j.1528-1167.2007.01189.x) Wenzel H.J., Tamse C.T., Schwartzkroin P.A. (2006) Dentate development in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures from p35 knock-out mice. Devel. Neurosci., 29:99-112. Wenzel HJ, Tamse CT, Schwartzkroin PA. Dentate development in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures from p35 knock-out mice. Dev Neurosci, 316, 2006. (In Press) Wenzel HJ, Schwartzkroin PA. Morphological approaches to the characterization of epilepsy models. In: Pitkanen A, Moshe SL, Schwartzkroin PA (eds.): Models of Seizures and Epilepsy. Elsevier, San Diego, pp. 629-651, 2006. Tschuulun N, Wenzel HJ, Schwartzkroin PA. Irradiation exacerbates cortical cytopathology in the Eker rat model of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, but does not induce hyperexcitability. Epilepsy Res, 73:53-64. 2006. Tschuluun N, Wenzel HJ, Schwartzkroin PA. Initiation and spread of epileptiform discharges in the MAM rat model of cortical dysplasia: Functional and structural connectivity between CA1 heterotopia and hippocampus/neocortex. Neuroscience, 133: 227-242, 2005. Wenzel HJ, Patel LS, Robbins CA, Emmi A, Yeung RS, Schwartzkroin PA. Morphology of cerebral lesions in the Eker rat model of tuberous sclerosis. Acta Neuropath (Berlin), 108:97-108, 2004. Schwartzkroin PA, Roper SN, Wenzel HJ. Cortical dysplasia and epilepsy: Animal models. In: Molecular Mechanisms Of Epileptogenesis (DK Binder and HE Scharfman, eds.). Landes Bioscience Adv Exp Med Biol, 548:145-174, 2004. Patel LS, Wenzel HJ, Schwartzkroin PA. Physiological and morphological characterization of dentate granule cells in the p35 knock-out mouse hippocampus: Evidence for an epileptic circuit. J Neurosci, 24:9005-9014, 2004. |