NEW INVESTIGATOR AWARD 2022 WINNER

Dr. Qi Zhang, MBBS, PhD, FRCPC, Neuropathologist and Assistant Professor of Pathology & Lab Medicine and Clinical Neurological Sciences, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University.

Grant Project: Characterizing the Suprabulbar Autonomic Involvement in Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)

Patients with epilepsy face an increased risk of dying at young age. Most of these premature deaths remain unexplained after extensive investigation. This is known as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). In our study, we will examine the breathing control brain areas from patients who have died from SUDEP. The primary goal of this research is to identify key changes that occur in the cardiorespiratory brain areas of SUDEP patients, so that we can have a better understanding of the mechanisms of this devastating condition.

 Grant: $50,000