Rare Epilepsy Partnership Award
Nael Nadif Kasri, PhD / Radboud University Medical Center
The goal of this project is to better understand how microglia interact with neurons in Kleefstra Syndrome and how this interaction affects abnormal brain activity caused by EHMT1 mutations.
Taking Flight Award
Colin McCrimmon, MD, PhD / University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. McCrimmon’s team will use 3D disease-in-a-dish models (called brain organoids) made from the cells of DEE13 patients to study how this faulty gene affects two key brain areas.
Taking Flight Award
Michael-John Dolan, PhD / Trinity College Dublin
Dr. Dolan’s project seeks to understand the role of a new type of microglia, called “IFN-microglia,” to study how these cells control brain inflammation in epilepsy.
Taking Flight Award
Lauren Lau, PhD / Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Lau will study patterns of neuronal activity using high-resolution imaging techniques to compare EDs and seizure onset in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
CURE Epilepsy Award
Jordan Farrell, PhD / Boston Children's Hospital
Using newly developed tools, Dr. Farrell’s team will study changes in endocannabinoid levels during seizures and test whether newly developed drugs can restore balanced endocannabinoid signaling.
CURE Epilepsy Award
Cameron Metcalf, PhD & Mingnan Chen, PhD / University of Utah
Drs. Metcalf and Chen will use a model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) to study specific immune cell populations and target certain immune cell types as a proof-of-concept approach to prevent seizures and/or reduce disease severity.
CURE Epilepsy Award
Heather Mefford, MD, PhD / St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
To better understand how these changes affect brain development, Dr. Mefford’s team will study 3D disease-in-a-dish models (called brain organoids) made from patient cells.
CURE Epilepsy Award
Avtar Roopra, PhD / University of Wisconsin-Madison
The team plans to study how long a drug’s protective effects last after a single, short-term treatment, and check for any long-lasting side effects.
Taking Flight Award
James Niemeyer, PhD / Weill Medical College, Cornell University
Dr. Niemeyer will use a novel epilepsy model and advanced imaging techniques to find out when and how different brain areas are recruited to form a harmful network.
