Please tell us a about yourself and your research
I’m Kate, an early career epilepsy researcher with an interest in plants, cooking, and importantly, brain health and disease! I’ve been fascinated by the brain and epilepsy since my first introduction to neuroscience at Aston University. After figuring out that I enjoy watching the squiggly lines that make up brain activity, I started a PhD at the Centre for Nanotechnology in Medicine at the University of Manchester with Dr Rob Wykes. Since then, I’ve found my interest lies in investigating how epilepsy develops and whether we can intervene in this process.
My current research focuses on glioblastoma-related epilepsy (GRE). Glioblastoma is one of the most common and aggressive brain tumours occurring in adults, and up to two thirds of patients also experience seizures. These seizures are difficult to manage, with around 20% of people with the condition not responding to any anti-seizure medications. To study these complex seizures, we developed a new model of GRE. I use techniques such as MRI and electrocorticography (ECoG) to understand seizure-tumour interactions. I also deliver targeted viral therapies to find out if manipulating the epileptic environment can impact these seizures and have a knock-on effect on tumour growth.
What was the Institute’s Emerging Leaders Symposium?
The Emerging Leaders Symposium was an event focused on bringing together early career researchers, established investigators and people with lived experience of epilepsy. The symposium started with an inspiring talk from a Shape Network member who spoke about her experiences as the parent of a child living by epilepsy. This really placed an emphasis on the importance of coming together as a community to maximise the impact of research on the lives of people affected by epilepsy. As the day progressed, the programme focused on developing a career in epilepsy research both in and outside of the lab, and the challenges faced on the path to translation of research. There was also a networking lunch, sponsored by the ILAE Young Epilepsy Section British Branch, which provided the opportunity to discuss the abstract research posters on display, share learnings with each other and build connections.
What were your highlights from the day?
It was great to see the Epilepsy Research Institute community growing. There is a clear emphasis on collaborative investment in researchers, including understanding the importance of supporting early career. It was refreshing to be involved in a symposium with an Institute interested in hearing feedback from everyday researchers about what needs to be prioritised going forward. This open format led to many interesting discussions about how we can help each other as a community. I really enjoyed how multi-disciplinary the day was, with some of my personal highlights from the day including the interactive poll related to capacity building, grant writing advice, talks about memory recovery after epilepsy surgery by Dr Elizaveta Olkhova, and disease-modifying gene therapies for refractory epilepsies by Dr Amy Richardson.
Why are events aimed at early career researchers important?
The transition from primary researcher to investigator is daunting and contains a lot of unknowns (not something we like that much in science!). However, the Emerging Leaders Symposium and initiatives, like The Hub (the Institute’s online portal for researchers working in epilepsy and associated conditions), really help to connect researchers and promote a motivating environment where sharing and support is facilitated. Events like this also provide a brilliant forum to speak with families impacted by epilepsy. As an early career researcher, it is so important to stay informed of the priorities of the epilepsy community, so we can use what we learn to shape our ideas and research to ensure these are aligned.
As an early-career researcher, have you experienced any challenges whilst working in epilepsy research?
Epilepsy is complex, with many different underlying mechanisms that make it particularly difficult to study. As such, developing new robust models of epilepsies take a lot of time, optimisation, and resources. This challenge is a common theme within the preclinical community. It is really motivating to see that the Epilepsy Research Institute have heard and prioritised this at all levels of epilepsy research from PhD programmes to research grants. In addition, the Institute’s work to ensure the recognition of epilepsy as a key area of research by the government is a massive help in providing security for preclinical research like this to continue.
Where do see yourself in 10 years’ time?
Over the next ten years, I aspire to further develop my understanding of epilepsy, to produce new ideas, and build research pipelines to find new treatments. I also hope to be able to provide mentorship and support to future early career researchers like myself, with the goal of improving the quality of life for the many families affected by epilepsy.
To stay informed about future Epilepsy Research Institute events, sign up to The Hub – our online portal for researchers working in epilepsy and associated conditions.
