Purple Partners - Celebrating Collaborations

PURPLE PARTNERS
Help for today and Hope for tomorrow

The vital need for scientific advances in public health has never been more evident. At Epilepsy Research UK this has been, and always will be, our daily mission.

But providing the best support and care for people with epilepsy takes a broad range of skills and expertise. That is why we are committed to working with our fellow epilepsy charities to share knowledge, support important awareness raising campaigns, lobby government or just offer a meeting room if needed. We know we can do more for people living with epilepsy if we work together to make the most of our collective resources.

This Purple Day, we’re celebrating the incredible work of our epilepsy partners and encouraging further collaboration to drive real change for people living with epilepsy. Here are just some the ways we’re working together:

YOUNG EPILEPSY

ERUK and Young Epilepsy are working together to fund a joint Fellowship that will investigate childhood onset epilepsies and associated comorbidities. This often-neglected area of research offers a real chance of making a difference to children with epilepsy and their families.

SUDEP ACTION

ERUK has been an active participant and supporter of SUDEP Action’s #Prevent21 campaign that aims to reduce epilepsy related deaths. We also regularly signpost families who would benefit from support from their incredible bereavement counsellors. Last year the two teams came together to share knowledge and work on future collaborations.

EPILEPSY ACTION

As a research charity we do not provide advice, but we seek guidance and signpost to the experts running the helpline at Epilepsy Action. We also work closely with the team to lobby parliamentarians through the All Party Parliamentary Group for Epilepsy.

EPILEPSY CONNECTIONS

This year we were delighted to work with Glasgow based support charity Epilepsy Connections as part of British Science Week. Research was high on the agenda at ‘Curiosity Live’ – a celebration of talent, research, innovation and creativity. The event looks to inspire young people into STEM careers – who knows… we may have just inspired the next generation of epilepsy researchers!

EPILEPSY SOCIETY

In 2019 we funded Dr Marian Galovic, a University College London researcher, based at Epilepsy Society’s Chalfont facilities. Dr Galovic is investigating the area of the brain called the hippocampus and is using shape analysis to discover why epilepsy surgery is sometimes unsuccessful, and why it can cause cognitive deficits in some people. This research will allow us to develop tailor-made treatments.