Since its inception in 1998, CURE has raised over $9 million to fund epilepsy research and other initiatives that will lead the way to a cure. CURE awards seed grants for novel research projects that address the goals of “no seizures, no side effects,” and specifically those that address the following needs: prevention of epilepsy, including post-traumatic epilepsy; advancement of the search for a cure; elimination of treatment side effects; and reversal of cognitive deficits caused by frequent seizures. In addition, this year marks the start of the first Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)-targeted research program, for which there is urgent need so that the risk of SUDEP may be minimized and eliminated. CURE specifically encourages studies that may not be currently fundable by other agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), because of their preliminary or unconventional nature.

CURE has also worked to establish epilepsy as a disease that merits and now receives crucial funding support for research through the Department of Defense for our program entitled “Prevention of Epilepsy After Traumatic Brain Injury,” now in its third year. For many soldiers suffering TBI on the battlefield, epilepsy will be a long-term consequence.