Paul Rosenberg's current research focuses on two areas--disorders of the brain and sleep disturbances. In the first line of research, he seeks to understand the mechanisms of brain injury in order to provide a rational basis for preventing and treating important neurological disorders and diseases. In pursuit of this goal, he is working to characterize pathways of cell death in neurons and oligodendrocytes. He is currently investigating how expression and function of the glutamate transporter GLT1 is regulated at normal synapses and how GLT1 function is compromised in neurodegenerative diseases.

In the second, he is investigating the biochemical and molecular basis of behavioral state regulation to provide the foundation for developing better pharmacological treatments for sleep disorders. To this end, he is currently investigating the role of nitric oxide and adenosine in regulating behavioral states.