Professor Cui’s research includes molecular basis of electrical signaling in normal and diseased cardiovascular and nervous systems. Abnormal electrical activities cause cardiac arrhythmia and neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Using experimental and computational approaches, including molecular biology, electrophysiology, fluorescence optical measurement, kinetic modeling and protein dynamics simulation, the Cui lab analyzes the mechanism of ion channels that generate electrical signals and how genetic mutations of these important molecules alter channel function and cause diseases. The lab also discovers small molecules that target ion channels, which can be used as research tools or drug leads.