The Epilepsy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute (EpLink)

About Eplink

The Epilepsy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute (EpLink) was established in 2011 under the leadership of co-directors Dr. McIntyre Burnham and Dr. Jorge Burneo with a mission to reduce seizures and improve the quality of life for people with epilepsy through research. Mary Pat McAndrews and Sharon Whiting joined EpLink's leadership team in 2018 and steered its grand vision: a world without epilepsy. EpLink's research focused on developing more effective drug therapies, improving diet therapies and surgical procedures, uncovering new treatment options with gene therapy and brain stimulation, and creating new programs to improve cognition, mood, and quality of life for individuals living with uncontrolled seizures.

EpLink's Legacy: Achivements and Impact

History

EpLink spanned across 25 lead researchers from 7 hospitals and universities across Ontario including:

University of Toronto

University Health Network

Sick Childrens Hospital

McMaster University

Hamilton Health Sciences

Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Western University

London Health Sciences Centre


Seizure Resources for Patients, Women, Families, & Teachers

  • What Type of Seizures Do I Have?

    Learn about the different types of seizures those with epilepsy can have.

    Types of Seizures

  • Seizure Management Resource

    Living with uncontrolled seizures? Learn more about how to manage seizures.

    General Seizure Management

  • Women with Epilepsy

    Considerations for women living with epilepsy.

    Women with Epilepsy

  • Teacher Resources for Epilepsy

    Teacher toolkit to promote well-being in students with epilepsy.

    Teacher Toolkit

Epilepsy Referral Pathway & Navigating the Healthcare System

  • Referral Pathway

    Clinical guidelines for the management of epilepsy: diagnosis, treatment, and referral pathway.

    Pathway Infographic

  • Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare

    These documents are supplementary and help to promote consistent care and a successful transition when moving from the pediatric to the adult healthcare system.

    Transition of Care Resources

Resources for Healthcare Providers

  • Primary Healthcare Provider Resources

    A general overview of epilepsy for healthcare providers.

    Healthcare Provider Guidelines

  • Community Neurologists

    A more in-depth overview of things to know about epilepsy surgery and alternatives to surgery.

    Community Neurologists Guidelines

  • District Epilepsy Centres (DECs) and Regional Epilepsy Surgical Centres (RESCs)

    Find the nearest DEC or RESC within Ontario.

    DEC and RESC Locator

COVID-19 Epilepsy Resources

Highlighted Publications

  1. PTG protein depletion rescues malin-deficient Lafora disease in mouse (2014)
  2. Decreased health care utilization and health care costs in the inpatient and emergency department setting following initiation of ketogenic diet in pediatric patients: the experience in Ontario, Canada (2017)
  3. Prevalence of pathogenic copy number variation in adults with pediatric-onset epilepsy and intellectual disability (2017)
  4. Brief activation of GABAergic interneurons initiates the transition to ictal events through post-inhibitory rebound excitation (2018)
  5. Do distance-delivery group interventions improve depression in people with epilepsy? (2019)
  6. Parcellation of the hippocampus using resting functional connectivity in temporal lobe epilepsy (2019)
  7. Canadian epilepsy priority-setting partnership: Toward a new national research agenda (2022)


Community Advisory Committee

Connecting the epilepsy community with the EpLink research program, the Community Advisory Committee was responsible for:

  • Understanding the goals and objectives of EpLink research projects
  • Providing valuable experience and input for the direction of EpLink's research
  • Sharing research updates with Community Epilepsy Agencies, people living with epilepsy, and families
  • Building connections between OBI, industry, research, and patient groups
  • Assisting with fundraising events, public education events, and engaging members of the epilepsy community

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the following groups for their valuable contributions to epilepsy research.

EpLink Co-Directors:

  • Mary Pat McAndrews, PhD, CPysch
  • McIntyre Burnham, PhD
  • Sharon Whiting, MBBS, FRCPC

EpLink Staff Members:

  • Amaya Singh, PhD
  • Hamed Moazami, MSc
  • Sahil Patel, BSc

Community Epilepsy Agencies:

  • Joanna Kapusta, CAC Chair (Epilepsy Toronto)
  • Drew Woodley (Epilepsy Ontario)
  • Jayme Arts (Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario)
  • Jo-Anne Welton (Epilepsy North Bay)
  • Michelle Franklin (Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario)
  • Nikki Porter (Epilepsy Ottawa)

Community Members:

  • Andrea Cameron
  • Ann Perl
  • Gena Meldazy
  • Nancy Mingo, MD
  • Natasha Causton
  • Sangeeta Staley
  • Shelly Philip LaForest

EpLink Management Committee:

  • Ali Khan, PhD
  • Amaya Singh, PhD
  • Danielle Andrade, MD
  • Elizabeth Donner, MD
  • Hamed Moazami, MSc
  • Jim Eubanks, PhD
  • Joanna Kapusta
  • Mary Lou Smith, PhD, CPsych
  • Mary Pat McAndrews, PhD, CPsych
  • McIntyre Burnham, PhD
  • Peter Carlen, MD
  • Rajesh RamachandranNair, MD
  • Sharon Whiting, MBBS