Epilepsy Research

The Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Program at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is a national leader in research and plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific understanding of epilepsy and improving treatment outcomes. We accomplish this through a diverse array of both basic and clinical research projects and active involvement in national research consortiums.

Basic Research

Basic research in epilepsy – also referred to as bench research or fundamental research – seeks to understand the underlying mechanisms that lead to seizures and the development of epilepsy (epileptogenesis). Findings from this important research are often translated into new therapies and diagnostic tools. Pediatric Epilepsy Program faculty members currently perform such research in collaboration with neuroscientists and adult epileptologists.

  • Louis Dang, M.D., Ph.D. – Dr. Dang and his team of researchers study the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind genetic epilepsies, with the goal of developing novel therapies for children with Dravet Syndrome and other developmental and epileptic encephalopathies.
  • Julie Ziobro, M.D., Ph.D. – Dr. Ziobro’s research focuses on how genetic changes cause severe childhood epilepsies, with the hope of creating new, precision therapies to reduce seizures and improve neurological development.
  • Garnett Smith, M.D. – Dr. Smith works at the Neural Engineering in Epilepsy Lab and studies applications of computer-analyzed intracranial EEG data. A key goal is to use these research findings to develop methods to target and stimulate the brain to stop seizures.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials can often offer access to new therapies or treatment protocols that might not otherwise be available. This can be a potentially life-changing option for children for whom existing treatments have failed to provide full seizure control. Clinical trials also offer an opportunity to advance our understanding of the safety and effectiveness of a wide range of epilepsy treatments. At any one time, Mott is typically a study location for multiple clinical trials related to pediatric epilepsy. You can visit ClinicalTrials.gov for an up-to-date list of clinical trials that are recruiting children with epilepsy through the University of Michigan.

Additionally, we’ve participated in several recently completed clinical trials. This includes studies on the following:

  • neurodevelopmental and epilepsy outcomes associated with continued antiseizure drug therapy after neonatal seizures
  • safety and effectiveness of certain antiseizure medications
  • comparative effectiveness of different medications in stopping status epilepticus
  • clinical characteristics and biomarkers predictive of disease outcome, progression and treatment response in participants with newly treated focal epilepsy
  • genetic information and its relationship to other characteristics of patients with epilepsy

Pediatric Epilepsy Research and Quality Improvement Consortiums

The Pediatric Epilepsy Program at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is an active participant in multiple research networks and collaboratives that bring together both the expertise and patient data of pediatric epilepsy programs across the country to improve our understanding and treatment of childhood epilepsy.

  • Pediatric Epilepsy Learning Healthcare System (PELHS) – a PERC-affiliated project focused on reducing seizures and other consequences of epilepsy through cycles of health data collection and analysis, sharing of new evidence, and changing of healthcare practices.

Through these and other collaborations, faculty at Mott are working on a wide range of important epilepsy-related goals and challenges, including but not limited to the following:

  • Epileptic encephalopathies (e.g. infantile spasms, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome)
  • Electrical Status Epilepticus in Sleep (ESES)
  • Neonatal seizures
  • Epilepsy surgery
  • Neuropsychological outcomes in epilepsy
  • Transition to adult care