Faculty and staff members at UW-Madison’s Department of Neurology work on a variety of laboratory and clinical research activities, translating scientific discoveries into practical application. Lily’s Award for Epilepsy Research is awarded annually to one person whose work is especially noteworthy.
Avtar’s research shows how a sweet-tasting compound is revealing a startling new face as a potential cure for epilepsy. The compound, 2-deoxy-glucose or “2DG,” has long been used in radio labeling, medical scanning and cancer imaging studies in humans. New research indicates that the substance also blocks the onset of epileptic seizures. Read more…
Carl’s research has long focused on the mechanisms and consequences of seizures in the developing brain. During development, the brain is more prone to seizures, yet the long-term consequences are less severe than in a mature brain. Using a variety of epilepsy models, Carl is exploring how seizures form at different ages, with the goal of optimizing treatment in children. He is especially interested in understanding how the ketogenic diet and other diets help children with epilepsy. The ketogenic diet’s high fat/low carbohydrate formula has been used for nearly a century, but scientists still don’t know exactly how it works.