With over 300 research grants funded, CURE Epilepsy has made significant impact advancing breakthroughs and filling critical gaps in the epilepsy landscape. From creating groundbreaking initiatives on SUDEP and genetics to developing a team-science approach to study post-traumatic epilepsy with the U.S. Department of Defense, we remain laser-focused on funding research to find cures for the epilepsies.
CURE Epilepsy has reframed the research community’s direction and shifted the focus of research to cures, rethinking what is possible and insisting that we look beyond therapies that simply treat symptoms. And, our unrelenting pursuit of a cure has resulted in hundreds of scientific discoveries that unlock critical insights and offer our community answers and hope. By convening experts, growing the field of researchers, and investing in novel studies, we've expanded our knowledge of epilepsy exponentially and armed the community with information on cutting-edge developments that can improve diagnoses and outcomes while continuing on our path to cures.
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The CURE Epilepsy team and current/past awardees feel like a big family with a unified goal. I deeply appreciate the strong support from CURE, not only for research funding, but also for the opportunities and communities that CURE provides for fostering new ideas, new collaborations, and new initiatives.
Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Ohio State University
One of the things I really love about the CURE research program is that they really love big, bold ideas and aren’t afraid to take chances on things that may seem a little high-risk or something a little out there because they recognize that if these projects were successful they would have a very high impact on the lives of patients with epilepsy.
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Northwestern University
It's absolutely essential to identify the causes of epilepsy to go to the root problem and to treat epilepsy comprehensively; that’s the only way we can develop a cure for epilepsy
Professor and Vice Chair of Research and Training, Rutgers University
The remarkable characteristic of CURE Epilepsy is that from the very beginning, the focus has been on trying to get at the underlying mechanisms, the basic aspects of epilepsy itself.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Professor of Neurology, UCSFBefore CURE Epilepsy, there was a lack of research on the biological mechanisms of epilepsy, leaving people with epilepsy with little information about their diagnosis and targeted treatment options. Our investments have brought us closer to a cure by expanding our understanding of epilepsy diagnoses, unlocking promising treatments, and developing models on which to validate treatments and cures.
[Team science] is a really exciting way to approach science. It's totally different than how we normally do it.
Through this effort, we have discovered a potential infantile spasms treatment and acquired a patent to reduce spasms and decrease side effects.
We have uncovered the link between SUDEP and genes found in both the brain and heart, helped establish key risk factors for SUDEP, and identified a SUDEP biomarker.
We have helped improve genetic diagnoses of epilepsy through our Epilepsy Genetics Initiative (EGI) and have been able to reinforce the importance of reanalyzing genetic data over time.
As a result of our initial funding, a drug is being tested in children with epilepsy caused by mutations in different genes such as the GABAA receptor, SCL6A1, SYNGAP1, MED13L among others, with potential application to other genetic epilepsies as well. Some children with the SLC6A1 mutation used to have dozens of seizures a day but became seizure-free with the drug alone.
I am forever grateful for the life-changing funding CURE Epilepsy provided in 2006, which paved the way for discovering the use of the drug phenylbutyrate to treat epilepsy. This support has made all the difference, and I am eternally thankful. Now children are benefiting from the drug and it’s incredible to see the impact.
of every dollar goes directly to research and awareness efforts
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