I am really proud to be a Trustee of the Epilepsy Research Institute. They are the major epilepsy research funder in the UK, including supporting the Epilepsy PhD hub at Newcastle University with six PhD students working on a diverse range of projects.

In the North East 1% of adults take medication for their epilepsy and yet despite being so common epilepsy can be broadly invisible. What this means for medical research - for example - is that for every £1 spent per person with Parkinson's disease, there is 9p per person with epilepsy for life changing, life saving research.

Epilepsy interrupts the lives of ordinary, extraordinary people. It’s invisible. It’s unpredictable. It’s frightening. I see this every week working at the Royal Victoria Infirmary as a Neurologist.

We aim to increase our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of epilepsy and its associated conditions, whilst accelerating research innovations in prevention and treatment. As well as funding research, we are driving multi-disciplinary collaborations and strategic investment to create a strong, vibrant and well-funded ecosystem where research can flourish.

Together, we will radically advance research into epilepsy.