Epilepsy Research for over 100 years
Our world leading research is helping to create a new world of personalised treatment to help transform lives. By understanding more about each person's genes, we will understand more about their epilepsy and how to treat it.
We are Epilepsy Society. The UK’s only charity transforming the lives of people with epilepsy through world-leading research, advocacy and care.
What we do
Cutting edge research
Epilepsy Society is unique in bringing together experts from around the world to form a powerhouse multidisciplinary team who contribute to a wide ranging spectrum of research.
Advocacy
We are a voice for people with epilepsy, striving to push epilepsy up the political agenda and bring about change at government level.
Leading care provider
Our range of care is tailored to the needs of each individual, and our professional staff are committed to maximising the life potential of everyone within our care homes.
Epilepsy support
Our confidential epilepsy helpline and online information provide support to people who are affected by epilepsy.
Our research
Genomics
Read how we are working to understand the genetic architecture of each individual person's epilepsy through our world leading genomics research programme.
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM)
Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is an area of clinical chemistry that specialises in measuring medication levels (concentrations) in patients, usually through blood samples but also through saliva samples.
Research
The ultimate goals of our current research are to spearhead personalised treatment and to incorporate genomic diagnosis into the NHS for people with epilepsy.
Sodium valproate
Sodium valproate is an epilepsy medication prescribed for all seizure types including absence, myoclonus and tonic clonic seizures. New regulations have been introduced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) around the way in which the drug, sodium valproate is prescribed. Find out about the changes and how they might affect you.
Latest news
Climate change and sleep
Our Director of Genomics, Professor Sanjay Sisodiya, is a co-author of a Nature Review Perspective, exploring how climate change is affecting human health globally. In this Perspective, the research team explored how changing weather patterns resulting from climate change affect sleep.
New study shows how our genes could help explain drug resistance in epilepsy
The Epilepsy Society has welcomed the findings of an international study that throws new light on why some people with focal epilepsy do not respond to anti-seizure medications.
Have your say: consultation on benefit reforms
Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper - GOV.UK consultation sets out the Governments plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support.
Epilepsy Society response to government benefit reforms
Although announced plans state that people with severe long-term health conditions will be protected and will not face reassessments, the charity is concerned about how people with epilepsy will be assessed. We urge the government to clarify the impact of its proposals as soon as possible to provide peace of mind to disabled people that benefits will not be withdrawn or frozen before additional support is provided.
Stand up to Seizures for Purple Day!
Today, Wednesday 26 March is Purple Day, which is all about raising awareness of epilepsy worldwide. Here at Epilepsy Society we have been asking people to #StanduptoSeizures and support our world leading research.
Stress, stairs and epilepsy in the House of Commons
Rosie Wrighting is one of just 10 Gen Z MPs. She is the youngest female to be elected at the last election and has recently been appointed as a Labour Health Champion. But here she puts politics to one side to speak, for the first time in public, about another important part of her life – her epilepsy.
1,200 die every year in the UK from epilepsy related deaths
Personal stories
Kerry's story
Kerry Pates was just 19 years old when she died of SUDEP. Karen Pates describes the impact of her daughter Kerry's death.
Jade's story
Jade Davies worries about whether her son's health problems may have been caused by her epilepsy medication, even though the drugs she was taking during pregnancy are considered to have a safer profile.
Simon's story
Inner Strength and Self-Belief – Confessions of a Marathon Runner with Epilepsy.
" They couldn't understand why going out into the sunlight would bring on seizures - until our genetic testing revealed the cause of Daniel's epilepsy. "
Genetic testing could mean a new world of personalised treatment that transforms lives. By understanding more about each person’s genes, we will understand more about their epilepsy and how to treat it.
