The Epilepsy Research Institute is proud to announce that Dr Sukhvir Wright, a trustee and research theme lead at the Institute, has been awarded a £3.4m Career Development Award by the Wellcome Trust. This funding will support Dr Wright’s groundbreaking research into autoimmune encephalitis, a severe inflammatory brain condition in children which can give rise to epilepsy.
Every minute, someone in the world is diagnosed with encephalitis, a condition that can result from infection or autoimmune responses in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain. Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) accounts for roughly a third of all cases and frequently causes seizures, cognitive and sleep dysfunction, and movement disorders – symptoms commonly associated with epilepsy. While early diagnosis and treatment are improving, long-term outcomes for children, particularly those under five, remain poor.
Dr Wright’s pioneering research highlights that while some symptoms, such as seizures, may resolve, others – including memory and learning difficulties, behavioural changes, and sleep disorders – can persist and become chronic. Understanding why some symptoms improve while others endure is central to this work.
As part of a preliminary study, Dr Wright conducted a world-first investigation using magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain scans in children with AE more than 18 months after their initial diagnosis. The findings revealed distinct, long-term structural and network changes in the brain, which she hypothesises are responsible for chronic symptoms. The project also builds on Dr Wright’s research during an Institute-funded fellowship in 2016, which investigated the mechanisms of AE using animal models and human brain tissue.
During the awarded project, Dr Wright will:
- Employ advanced laboratory models to examine the mechanisms causing these persistent symptoms, studying changes from single brain cells to whole brain networks.
- Conduct longitudinal studies on brain network changes in children following the acute phase of AE, using Aston University’s optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) MEG scanner. This cutting-edge technology is child-friendly, allowing for greater comfort during scans.
Dr Wright’s research is particularly significant for the epilepsy community, as seizures are a hallmark symptom of AE. By identifying common disease processes and early indications, her work aims to reduce the long-term impacts of AE, improve patient outcomes, and deepen understanding of epilepsy-related brain health challenges.
Patient engagement is also central to the project. Dr Wright will collaborate closely with the Epilepsy Research Institute’s Shape Network and Encephalitis International, ensuring that patient voices guide the research.
Dr Wright said, “We hope that this project will transform outcomes and optimise brain health in paediatric autoimmune encephalitis and beyond by delivering a significant shift in understanding the acute and subsequent chronic effects that autoimmune encephalitis has on children and young people.”
The Epilepsy Research Institute congratulates Dr Wright on this achievement and looks forward to the transformative insights her research will bring to both AE and epilepsy care.