Neuroscientists show how common parasitic infection causes seizures and psychiatric illness for some

Forty million Americans are infected with a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. For most patients, the infection is mild, while others develop seizures or psychiatric disorders. A new study led by Michael Fox at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute describes how brain circuits change as the parasite finds long-term shelter inside brain cells. The study’s first author and doctoral candidate, Gabriela Carrillo, explains this discovery.