The Ayaz Lab is pleased to congratulate Dr. Stacy N. Hudgins on the successful defense of his PhD dissertation in Biomedical Engineering at Drexel University.
Stacy’s dissertation, titled “Altered Intrinsic Thalamic and Subcortical Functional Connectivity in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Focal-to-Bilateral Tonic-Clonic Seizures,” examined intrinsic thalamic and subcortical network mechanisms in temporal lobe epilepsy using resting-state fMRI, functional network connectivity, graph-theoretic analyses, and machine learning approaches. His work investigated laterality-dependent disruptions in thalamic and broader subcortical functional organization and their relevance to focal-to-bilateral tonic-clonic seizures.
The dissertation analyzed resting-state fMRI data from Jefferson University, 166 temporal lobe epilepsy patients and 119 healthy controls, with a focus on thalamic, limbic, and striatal subnetworks. The findings provide evidence that subcortical connectivity abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy involve organized limbic-thalamo-striatal subnetworks rather than isolated regional effects, with potential relevance for future seizure risk stratification and biomarker development.
This work was made possible through a close collaboration with our Jefferson colleagues, Dr. Michael Sperling and Dr. Joseph Tracy, whose clinical expertise, mentorship, data support, and guidance were instrumental in every aspect of Stacy’s thesis and its successful completion. We are deeply grateful for their generous collaboration and continued support.
Stacy completed his doctoral work while working full time in industry, demonstrating exceptional dedication, persistence, and professionalism throughout his PhD journey. It has been a privilege for our lab to support his work and celebrate this important milestone.
We are grateful to Stacy’s dissertation committee and clinical collaborators for their guidance, expertise, and support throughout this project.
Congratulations, Dr. Hudgins, on this outstanding achievement!
