Epilepsy affects everyone differently, which is why research into new technologies and more personalised approaches is so important. While seizure control remains a key priority, advances in diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management are also essential to ensure people receive the care that best meets their needs.
In an era of rapid technological advances, with Artificial Intelligence among the tools reshaping healthcare, there is enormous potential to unlock new insights into epilepsy. To date, a diverse portfolio of research projects has been funded, exploring new treatments, seizure prediction methods, and pioneering technologies, such as the potential role of dogs in seizure detection.
We believe that promising ideas deserve the support needed to grow, which is why investing in research remains such an important part of our work. The following research projects have been funded by Epilepsy Ireland to support the development of new treatments and technologies that could improve epilepsy care. The projects are grouped into ongoing and completed studies.
Ongoing Projects
- Project: DS-COMBINE: A Multi-Modal, Circadian-Informed Strategy for Personalised Care in Adults with Dravet Syndrome
- Who? Dr Cristina Reschke; RCSI
- Years funded: 2027-2031
- Project: MAP-IT: MEG Assisted Planning for Intraoperative Targeting
- Who? Professor Mark Cunningham; Trinity Dublin College
- Years funded: 2027-2031
- Project: Seizure Prediction Using Open Access EEG Datasets
- Who? Nóra Murphy, University College Cork (Academic Supervisor: Dr. Cian McCafferty, Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience)
- Years funded: 2026-2030
- Project: The EpiBreak Project
- Who? Dylan Maguire, Dublin City University (Academic Supervisor: Dr. Ruairi Brannigan, DCU School of Chemistry)
- Years funded: 2025-2029
Completed Projects
- Project: EPIVIEWS: Exploring Patient Impact & Value in Epilepsy Wearables for Seizure Monitoring
- Who? John David Damalerio, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Academic Supervisor: Prof Colin Doherty, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)
- Years funded: 2022-2024
- Project: Development of a non-invasive ultrasound stimulation approach to modulate the seizure-like firing of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons from epileptic patients
- Who? James Britton, Department of Physiology NUI Galway (Academic Supervisor: Dr Leo Quinlan, Department of Physiology, NUI Galway)
- Years funded: 2021-2022
- Project: Co-producing health and well-being in partnership with patients, families and communities: The role of the epilepsy patient portal
- Who? Dr Mary Fitzsimons; RCSI
- Years funded: 2018 – 2020
- Project: MicroRNA Biofluid Profiles as Molecular Diagnostics for Response to the Antiepileptic Drug Leveteracitam
- Who? Sinead Heavin; RCSI
- Years funded: 2014 – 2016
- Project: A pharmacogenomic study of chronic refractory epilepsy
- Who? Dr Gianpiero Cavalleri; RCSI
- Years funded: 2010 – 2012
- Project: Can Dogs Predict Epileptic Seizures
- Who? Dr. Neil Powell; Queens University Belfast
- Years funded: 2017