Monash researchers awarded $2.1M in MRFF grants for epilepsy research
L-R: Dr Neha Kaul, Dr Hugh Simpson, Dr Ana Antonic-Baker
Three Monash University projects from Central Clinical School’s Department of Neuroscience have received funding from the Medical Research Future Fund worth a combined $2.1 million. All projects will be led by rising early career researchers investigating different approaches for improving treatment, seizure control, and quality of life for people with epilepsy.
Epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder, yet it remains poorly understood. It
currently affects around 250,000 Australians and more may develop it over their lifetime.
While many people with epilepsy are able to control seizures with medication, this is not effective in around 30 percent of patients. These patients continue to experience ongoing recurrent seizures resulting in increased risk of injury, disability and even death. Two of the projects led by Dr Neha Kaul and Dr Hugh Simpson will explore alternative innovative technology-driven treatment approaches to bring relief to those with drug-resistant epilepsy.
The first project, led by post-doctoral dietitian-researcher Dr Neha Kaul, will evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating digital health technologies including a new at-home saliva ketone testing device developed by MX3 Diagnostics, as well as digital seizure and food diaries.
“The ketogenic diet is known to be an effective treatment for people with drug resistant epilepsy,” Dr Kaul explained. “However, high discontinuation rates remain a significant issue so we are pursuing an innovative approach with digital health to help solve this issue.”
Both of these interventions will be underpinned by dynamic dietitian support via telemedicine to better support people undertaking dietary treatment for epilepsy.
Dr Simpson’s project aims to address the uncertainty faced by people who continue to experience seizures as to when and how they will occur.
“New Australian technology based on the cochlear implant allows recording of brain electrical activity for months to years,” Dr Simpson explained. “The implant, which is inserted under the scalp, offers unprecedented insights into seizure activity and greater certainty for patients and carers. This will help us as clinicians to provide better patient management for people with epilepsy.”
Funding from the MRFF Digital Intervention scheme will enable this new 'subscalp' monitoring technology to be provided to patients as part of a new clinical trial based within the Alfred Neuroscience Clinical Trials unit.
Head of the Alfred Neuroscience Clinical Trials unit and Head of Central Clinical School Professor Terence O’Brien said, “these grants are very exciting for the future of translational research at the Central Clinical School with our key clinical partner, Alfred Health, to develop new and transformation treatments for people with epilepsy.”
The third project, led by neuroscientist Dr Ana Antonic-Baker, aims to investigate whether stem cells can be used as vehicles to deliver an amino-acid neuropeptide (neuropeptide Y) known to suppress seizures in drug-resistant epilepsy. This study will provide new insights into how epilepsy develops, and form the basis for the development of novel disease-modifying treatment or DMT strategies.
Professor Helmut Butzkueven, Head of the Department of Neuroscience at Monash University said, “I am happy and proud of all three outstanding early career researchers in our department being successfully funded in highly competitive national competitive grant schemes. It reflects the high quality of our early career researchers, who have a supportive environment and mentorship across Central Clinical School at Monash University and Alfred health to nurture their career development - it is fantastic news!”
Professor Patrick Kwan, a member on the project teams, who is part of the Department of Neuroscience and also the Co-Director of the Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME), said these projects displayed the collaborative and innovative spirit MIME is founded on: “I would like to congratulate the lead researchers of all three projects for bringing together multidisciplinary teams of clinicians, scientists and technologists.These projects exemplify MIME’s ethos that significant advances in healthcare technology often require the collaboration between health and medical researchers, engineers, designers, and IT specialists.”
| Project lead | Project title | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Ana Antonic-Baker | Intracerebral delivery of Neuropeptide Y through hiPSC-derived progenitors (NPY-hiPSC- NPs) as a disease-modifying treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy | $671,512.00 |
| Dr Neha Kaul | A multi-modality med-tech approach to dietary therapy for epilepsy care (MED-TEC): A randomised controlled trial | $748,037.60 |
| Dr Hugh Simpson | Subscalp EEG Augmentation of Routine Care in Epilepsy | $749,970.90 |
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
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