CURE Award, Funded by the Central New York Award, in Memory of Christopher Donalty and Kyle Coggins
H. Steve White, PhD / University of Utah
The purpose of this study is to characterize the clinical and electrographic seizure phenotype, determine virus-immune-CNS parameters involved in seizure development and seizure susceptibility and assess the impact of acute viral infection on seizure threshold and the development of epilepsy.
CURE Award, Funded by the Rhode Island Award
Michael J. Kubek, PhD / Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
The goal of this Dr. Kubek’s research is to develop a neuropeptide-containing nanoparticle nasal spray for seizure therapy.
Quest Awards
Karin Borges, PhD / Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX
Dr. Borges will test, in mice, whether an anaplerotic diet can inhibit seizures.
Multidisciplinary Awards
Gregory Mathews, MD, PhD / Vanderbilt University Medical Center
This one-year collaborative effort between Dr. Poulsen (a molecular virologist) and Dr. Mathews (a clinical epileptologist and basic neuroscientist) will explore the use of viral gene technology for enhancing GABA, offering the promise of new and less debilitating therapeutic options for epilepsy patients.
Quest Awards, Funded by the UCB Diamond Sponsorship Award
Christophe Bernard, PhD / INSERM, Marseille, France
By boosting HCN activity in animal models of epilepsy, using specific drugs or via genetic technology, this study may lead to new approaches to controlling seizures with the potential of also restoring cognitive function.
Challenge Awards
Steven L. Bealer, PhD / University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Dr. Bealer will evaluate the relationships between medications and the heart to determine which patients should be routinely evaluated for cardiac risk, and whether appropriate cardiac drug therapy reduces the risk of death.
Traumatic Brain Injury Awards
Daniela Kaufer, PhD / University of California Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
This two-year project aims to develop therapies that will prevent the generation of epilepsy following brain trauma.
Traumatic Brain Injury Awards
Jian Kang, MD, PhD / New York Medical College, New York, NY
The goal of this two-year project is to study how glutamate release from astrocytes, the “supporting” cells of the brain, causes the development of post-traumatic epilepsy.
Traumatic Brain Injury Awards
David Prince, MD / Stanford University, Stanford, CA
In this two-year study, they will use other approaches, such as the application of a drug that acts to decrease the action of an excitatory messenger normally present.
