Epilepsy Sparks Insights

Meet Svetlana Faktorovich, a neurologist & neurophysiologist from Marcus Neuroscience Institute, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, in Florida, USA. Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Svetlana is now working with multiple bodies to export anti-seizure medications to people from Ukraine who have epilepsy. --- More about Svetlana and how you can help: https://www.torierobinson.com/epilepsy-sparks-insight...

Laureate Prof. Ingrid Scheffer & Asst. Prof. Michael Hildebrand from the University of Melbourne share their research into the genetic links between febrile seizures and a child’s likelihood of developing epilepsy. --- More about Ingrid & Michael: https://www.torierobinson.com/epilepsy-sparks-insights/ingrid-scheffer-michael-hildebrand --- Glossary: There are many terms used in this record...

Donna Walsh, CEO at the International Bureau for Epilepsy tells us what the organisation is doing right now and what they plan to do to help people with epilepsy in Ukraine. If you are interested in helping, contact Donna: donnawalsh@ibe-epilepsy.org Contact your government and pharmaceutical companies now to ask how they are helping people with epilepsy in Ukraine. --- More about Donna and how yo...

Lori Hairrell, the program developer from the non-profit ROW Foundation, US, speaks of providing anti-seizure medications to people with epilepsy in Ukraine - and how we can help - by donating just $5/£4/€4 or just sharing this video! Contact your pharmaceutical company now to ask how they are helping people with epilepsy in Ukraine. --- More about Lori, ROW Foundation supplying epilepsy drugs, an...

More about Volodymyr and how you can help: https://www.torierobinson.com/epilepsy-sparks-insights/ukraine-volodymyr-kharytonov --- Dr. Volodymyr Kharytonov, the neurologist and psychiatrist from Kyiv, Ukraine, is somehow smiling and saving the lives of people affected by the epilepsies! Please watch/listen to this for an uplifting moment in all of this turmoil. Learn how you can help, easily. ---...

Rohit Marawar from Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan, tells us all about epilepsy and dementia in older adults; speaking of his research and how he helps his patients with diagnoses, care, and the cognitive process of memory. We also speak of getting started on medications, and why politicians must allocate greater, fairly allocated spending to help people affected by the epilepsies.  -...

More about Piotr, Łukasz, and websites offering support: https://www.torierobinson.com/ukraine-piotr-zwolinski-lukasz-sosnowski --- Epileptologist Piotr Zwoliński and CEO Łukasz Sosnowski from Neurosphera speak of their desperation for anti-seizure medications in Ukraine. The war has caused a shortage but without a steady supply of these drugs from pharmaceutical companies , many people will have...

Eleonora Aronica, a professor at the University of Amsterdam, talks about her work in the neuropathology of epilepsy. --- More about Eleonora: https://www.torierobinson.com/epilepsy-sparks-insights/eleonora-aronica --- Research involvement: "Epilepsy Surgery: A Patient & Carer Perspective": https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuZ5HIamNW2HobboGaVq080MCNwLVY1bLqXfUtLdVtWElQ1Q/viewform ---...

We talk to three incredible epilepsy clinicians, geneticists, and researchers from the Danish Epilepsy Center ( Rikke Steensbjerre Møller , Guido Rubboli , & Elena Gardella ) who are working together with a passion to positively impact the lives of people affected by genetic epilepsies. --- 5th Dianalund International Conference ,  7-8 April 2022, 4220 Korsør, Denmark Register:  https://www.co...

Today we talk to Samuel Terman; an epileptologist and researcher from the University of Michigan, USA, who specialises in helping people affected by seizures and epilepsy. Samuel tells us about his research into adherence to medications, polypharmacy, deprescribing, and the high rate of multiple disabilities amongst those with epilepsy. Samuel’s work focuses on optimising the delivery of medical c...

Mike Kerr is a globally recognised, award-winning Neuropsychiatrist who talks about his specialist career in improving the lives of people affected by epilepsy - alongside learning disability, and mental health conditions. Mike is the Emeritus Professor of Learning Disability Psychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine at Cardiff University, and Honorary Professor at the School of Medicine at...

Wesley Kerr is both a clinical epilepsy fellow at the University of Michigan, US, and a machine-learning statistician. Wesley works to improve the lives of people who experience epileptic and/or functional seizures. Wesley is big on helping patients and populations receive an accurate diagnosis earlier to hopefully have them respond better to treatments(s) and reduce negative impacts on their qual...

Meet Sally-Ann Remnant,  a clinical nurse specialist in epilepsy who talks to us about her work and study into the impact of constipation upon people with epilepsy; particularly those who also have Intellectual Disability - and indeed how constipation can encourage seizures in some.  Sally-Ann works at Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and is a nurse consultant at Epilepsy Expla...

Christos Lisgaras, a research scientist and post-doctoral fellow at the lab of Prof. Helen Scharfman at the NYU Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research talks about his epilepsy research, sharing results data, his passion for helping other young people develop their careers in the field of epileptology, and communicating effectively with PWE. Also spoken of are Christos' discoveries linking...

For the 10-year anniversary of its gene mutation identification, we today learn about the ultra-rare epilepsy: Alternative Hemiplegia of Childhood. Experts Rosaria Vavassoria and Prof. Alexis Arzimanoglou talk about their work to improve the lives of the families affected and indeed how far the understanding of AHC has come over the past decade!   **CHECK OUT ROSARIA & ALEXIS** Rosaria - Linke...

Meet Wyatt Bensken: an epidemiology and biostatistics academic from Case Western Reserve University, US, talking to us about his paper on the high prevalence of psychiatric and physical conditions amongst people with epilepsy, racial and ethnic disparities, and the need for policymakers to bring about change. **CHECK OUT WYATT** Website: https://wyattbensken.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/...

Today we are talking about sex for people with epilepsy - with Charlotte Lawthom, a consultant Neurologist at Aneurin Bevan Health Board, professor at Swansea University, Wales, UK, and total dog-lover! Charlotte has a wonderful openness and passion for improving the lives of people affected by the epilepsies - including people with intellectual disability and other comorbidities.  **CHECK OUT CHA...

Welcome to 2022! Our first interview of the year is with Julie Nys, Ph. D.; who tells us why she is working to improve the lives of people with epilepsy - through developing the seizure detection device: EpiCare@Home. For many, this shall play a part in diagnoses, effective treatments, patient and family, empowerment, and much, much more. Topics Julie and I chat about include:  • Explaining the de...

Today we are talking to Dr. Sallie Baxendale, a consultant neuropsychologist and part of the Epilepsy Surgery program meat the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queens Square, London! We talk about her work in assessing and preparing People With Epilepsy for potential epilepsy neurosurgery, and how the mental health conditions experienced by many can form a huge part of the picture...

Today we talk to Farooq Shaikh about his exciting research into how the contents of some fruit may (or may not) be able to help control seizures!  We talk about neuroinflammation, genomics, "negative" results (which are positive!), drug discovery, and more. In addition to being an associate professor, neuropharmacologist, and Research Strength Leader at Monash University Malaysia, Farooq works wit...

Today we are talking to Danielle Andrade , an epileptologist and professor of medicine at the University of Toronto who is working tirelessly to improve the experiences of people and families affected by genetic epilepsies when they transition from paediatric to adult care. This transition is crucial  – and actually reminds me of when you might start a new job – you have to learn about your new te...

Meet Alice Winsor, a research associate at King's College London working on the Integrating Mental & Physical healthcare: Research, Training & Services (IMPARTS) project in epilepsy -  an initiative aiming to bridge together physical and mental healthcare. This is the first time the project shall be rolled out amongst young people with epilepsy. Feel free to contact Alice (see below) to le...

Today we are talking to Nathan Pevy, a Ph. D. student from Sheffield Uni looking into the differences between types of losses of consciousness - covering epilepsy, PNES (Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures)/NEAD (Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder), and Syncope (fainting); to figure out how to more effectively diagnose each. After all, to many, each can look pretty similar and we aren’t keen on misdiagn...

Today we are talking to Professor Cathy Abbott; Professor of Mammalian Molecular Genetics at the University of Edinburgh, UK. With her lab team using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology,  Cathy is working to find answers to the rare genetic epilepsy eEF1A; trying to figure out what’s going on with the eEF1A gene when rare mutations of it can cause developm...

Today we are talking to Emma Palmer; both a clinical geneticist at Sydney Childrens’ Hospital Network and a researcher at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Her interests are around how to improve the diagnosis of genetic epilepsies, and improve the model of care for genetic epilepsies more specifically and rare conditions more broadly. Emma is passionate about improving the patient and...