Planning epilepsy health disparities research with community partners
Official title: Planning for Epilepsy Health Disparities Research Through Community Co-Production.”
Funded at Epilepsy Foundation of America · NIH-11417453 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant helps a national epilepsy network plan ways to reduce unequal outcomes for people with epilepsy by working closely with patients, families, and clinicians in their communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Epilepsy Foundation of America NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bowie, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $242,954 |
| NIH project number | 5R34NS140007-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11417453 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include children and families affected by epilepsy from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds who are willing to engage as partners in research planning and priority setting.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not connected to the Epilepsy Learning Healthcare System or who do not participate in community partnerships may see indirect benefits rather than direct involvement.
What this research studies
This project is a planning grant designed to build partnerships and capacity to study why epilepsy outcomes differ across race, income, location, and insurer status. It focuses on co-producing research priorities with patients and families within the Epilepsy Learning Healthcare System to guide future studies and interventions. The team will develop methods to sustainably engage community partners and patient/family stakeholders to shape epilepsy health disparities research. The goal is to create a roadmap for interventions that reduce the disproportionate burden of epilepsy on vulnerable communities. The collaboration between the Epilepsy Foundation, Mass General Hospital, and Harvard University supports a patient-centered approach to advancing equitable epilepsy care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients and families in underserved communities could experience more equitable epilepsy care and better health outcomes through targeted, community-informed research and interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in health disparities research often shows that community-engaged planning can improve relevance and uptake of later interventions, though this exact epilepsy disparities planning approach is exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Epilepsy Foundation of America
Bowie, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fureman, Brandy Ellen — Epilepsy Foundation of America
- Study coordinator: Fureman, Brandy Ellen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Scaling Up Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care for Children in Africa
A study to help children with epilepsy in Africa get diagnosed and receive seizure care through trained community health workers.
-
Closed-loop control of interneuron timing to influence seizures and memory in epilepsy
A study tests a brain-quieting system that uses light to precisely time certain brain cells in epilepsy-prone mice to see if this can lessen seizures and improve memory.
-
Epilepsy Data Ecosystem: A Big-Data Sharing Platform for Better Care
A national effort to collect and share large, multi‑modal brain data from people with medication‑resistant epilepsy to speed discoveries and improve treatment options.
-
Exploring epilepsy genes in zebrafish to understand human brain seizures
A study in zebrafish will model human epilepsy genes to help explain how certain brain mutations contribute to seizures.
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New MRI tools to better plan pediatric epilepsy surgery
A new MRI-based approach helps doctors decide the best time to surgically remove brain tissue in children with difficult-to-control seizures.
-
Sahel Epilepsy Study: finding patterns in epilepsy in rural Africa and its links to genes
A plan to study epilepsy in rural Nigeria to discover how common it is, what factors affect risk, and how genetics may influence it, with results that could improve care for people with epilepsy.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.