Last weekend, the CURE Epilepsy community gathered for our 28th annual Night of Discovery in Chicago, raising over $1.5 million to advance epilepsy research. More than 450 supporters, researchers, clinicians, families, and advocates came together to demonstrate what is possible when a community rallies behind a shared mission.
The evening was a powerful reminder that progress is never abstract. It is built by families who keep searching for answers, by advocates who refuse to accept the status quo, by researchers who keep asking hard questions, and by supporters whose generosity makes the next breakthrough possible.
We had the privilege of honoring Dr. Walter Koroshetz with CURE Epilepsy’s Founders Award for his contributions as Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). His leadership helped advance epilepsy research through initiatives like Epilepsy Centers Without Walls and the BRAIN Initiative, while strengthening the shared belief that science can alleviate suffering when it is supported, connected, and sustained.
Dr. Koroshetz acknowledged the challenging environment in which the team at NINDS is operating today and the determination of those individuals to continue supporting the highest-quality research that will deepen our understanding of epilepsy and bring us closer to cures.
We then had an update from Dr. Olivia Hoffman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison , who reminded us that science is rarely a linear journey. She spoke about groundbreaking work underway in Dr. Avtar Roopra’s lab exploring tofacitinib and conveyed both the excitement and urgency surrounding the research.
Even as funding challenges remain, Olivia described a team that continues to follow new leads, run experiments, and deepen its understanding.
But research is never just about science. Behind every breakthrough are individuals and families searching for answers. One of the most powerful moments of the evening came from Team CURE Epilepsy runner Clare Phelps, who told us about the search for answers to her daughter Sophie’s epilepsy.
Clare described five years marked by seizures, uncertainty, hospital visits, second opinions, genetic testing, treatment decisions, and neurosurgical procedures.
As she spoke, I heard a familiar echo. The powerlessness she described, searching for answers and finding none, is the same feeling our founding families experienced 28 years ago. Many things have changed over the years, but families still lack answers, and it is CURE Epilepsy’s job to continue pushing science to find them.
As I reflect on the evening, I feel deep gratitude for everyone who made it possible, including speakers, sponsors, donors, volunteers, clinicians, scientists, families, and friends. The challenges before us are real, but so is the strength of this community.
This year’s Night of Discovery reminded us that progress is built by sustaining research, rewarding curiosity, and passing down knowledge. Together, everyone in that room is moving us closer to a future in which epilepsy no longer defines or limits anyone’s life. That is the hope we carry forward and the responsibility we share: to keep investing in the science that will transform lives and ultimately lead us to cures.
To everyone who joined us, supported us, and believed that people living with epilepsy deserve better answers: thank you.
We are closer because of you.
We want to share a special thank you to our Presenting Sponsors, the Cafaro-Livingston Foundation and GCM Grosvenor, and our Diamond Sponsor, The Ann G. and James B. Ritchey Foundation, for their vital support of our mission and this year’s Night of Discovery.
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