Dr. Shah awarded grant to improve outcomes for patients with epilepsy

Despite the best available therapy, approximately 1 million Americans have uncontrolled epilepsy, which often excludes them from daily activities like driving. In addition, many current anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are poorly effective and cause undesirable side effects. 

To address these problems, Aashit Shah, MD, chief of neurology, has received a 2-year, $200,000 grant from the Commonwealth Health Research Board (CHRB) to understand how different ASMs affect neural activity in the brain. Dr Shah’s grant is the first CHRB award at Carilion, and his research team includes Carilion neurosurgeon Mark Witcher, MD, PhD, and Virginia Tech neuroscientist Sujith Vijayan, PhD. Together, their efforts will explore nerve networks and brain regions that may be critical to the effectiveness of ASMs. Ultimately, the team’s findings will lead to more precisely targeted and effective medications for epilepsy, with fewer unwanted side effects. 

“This is a tremendous award that highlights the innovation and collaborative spirit of our physician-scientists. In partnership with our colleagues in neuroscience at Virginia Tech, this work has the potential to advance the care we provide to patients living with seizure disorders,” said Tony Seupaul, MD, Chief Physician Executive. "This work will help elevate the care we provide for—and the quality of life of—patients with seizure disorders.”