Prof Mark Cunningham

Prof Mark Cunningham

Mark Cunningham is the Ellen Mayston Bates Professor of Neurophysiology of Epilepsy at Trinity College Dublin. He uses electrophysiology to study the mechanisms by which neuronal microcircuits generate organised electrical activity in the brain. He has a particular interest in understanding how pathological electrical activity is generated by the epileptic brain and how this can help develop better treatments for epilepsy. After reading Physiology at Queen’s University Belfast, he received a PhD in Physiology from Bristol University. He then undertook post-doctoral research positions at Bristol University, University of Leeds, Heidelberg University and Newcastle University. Before joining Trinity, Professor Cunningham held a Professorship in Neuronal Dynamics at the Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University. His research has been funded by the BBSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust, Epilepsy Research UK, Action on Hearing Loss, Hadwen Trust, Innovate UK, Wolfson Foundation and The Royal Society. He has also had significant funding from several global pharmaceutical companies. Professor Cunningham currently sits on the Biomedical Resource and Technology Development Committee at the Wellcome Trust. He has previously sat on the Scientific Advisory Committee for Epilepsy Research UK. He is a fellow of the Centre for the Advancement of Sustainable Medical Innovation (CASMI). He has also acted on numerous advisory boards and as a consultant to numerous pharmaceutical companies. He is a member of the British Neuroscience Association, The Physiological Society (UK) and the International League against Epilepsy (ILAE). In 2019 he was elected as a Professorial Fellow at Trinity College Dublin.