Australian Epilepsy Project - AEP

02/10/2025

The prestigious Australian AI Awards 2025 celebrate the innovators shaping Australia’s future, from finance and law to defence, aerospace, and beyond.
More information here: https://www.australianaiawards.com.au/

We're proud to share that Anton de Weger, newly appointed Executive Lead of the Australian Epilepsy Project, has been nominated for AI Leader of the Year – SME! 👏

A huge recognition of his leadership and impact in the AI space.
💡

The Australia AI Awards 2025 dinner will be held on Wednesday 5 November at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, and bring together business leaders across Australia to celebrate the achievements and excellence of the industry’s best and brightest.

Good Luck Anton!

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
The University of Melbourne
Amazon Web Services

19/09/2025

🚶‍♀️💜 We’re over halfway through and just $725 away from hitting our fundraising goal for the Australian Epilepsy Project!

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who’s donated so far, your support means the world 💜

Haven’t donated yet? There’s still time to help us make a real difference for people living with epilepsy. Every step counts. Every dollar matters.

👉 Donate here:

🔗 https://step4epilepsyactionactionau.gofundraise.com.au/page/AustralianEpilepsyProject

Let’s cross that finish line together!

💪

Epilepsy Action Australia The Epilepsy Centre Epilepsy WA

At the Australian Epilepsy Project, our mission is clear: to improve outcomes for people living with epilepsy. While we continue to drive groundbreaking research, we’re also stepping up in another meaningful way — through Step 4 Epilepsy Action, a fundraising initiative close to our hearts.Every...

15/09/2025

Great to see AEP Chief Investigator Prof. Graeme D Jackson and AEP participant William Campbell featured in the Herald Sun yesterday! William shared his inspiring journey to seizure freedom and how his life has transformed since taking part in the AEP Study.

📖 Read more here:

https://www-heraldsun-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.heraldsun.com.au/health/conditions/ai-shows-how-people-with-epilepsy-can-live-seizure-free/news-story/e500b10bffe51e8e61cf595c7dc04a11?amp

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

The University of Melbourne

11/09/2025

📢 The Australian Epilepsy Project hailed as an exemplar for transforming lives.

The Australian Epilepsy Project (AEP) was honoured to welcome The Hon. Mark Butler MP in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

“The 10-year anniversary of the MRFF is a significant milestone and a reminder of its enduring impact on Australian health and medical research. It has already had a huge impact on the lives of Australians, with many thousands more set to benefit from groundbreaking work,” said Minister Butler.

Prof. Graeme Jackson, Chief Investigator of the AEP, added:
“The AEP translates and extends over 30 years of Florey research in imaging, genetics and neuropsychology into patient outcomes, positively impacting the lives of many Australians living with or recently diagnosed with epilepsy. The Florey is proud to be a world leader in exploring the technology driven future of health care.”

🔈 Read the full Press Release:

https://www.markbutler.net.au/news/media-releases/ten-years-of-the-life-changing-medical-research-future-fund

More here:

https://florey.edu.au/news/2025/09/the-australian-epilepsy-project-hailed-as-an-exemplar-for-transforming-lives/

A sincere thank you to our partners at The Florey and the University of Melbourne for joining us on this special occasion.

The Hon. Mark Butler Mark Butler, Graeme D Jackson, William Campbell, Chris Blake, Peter van Wijngaarden, Andrew Barlow, Katie Liddicoat, Amanda Anderson, Anton de Weger, Rebecca Forgasz, Paul Lightfoot, Marita Walmsley, Elif Ekinci, James Moody and Jonathan Gooi

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
The University of Melbourne

09/09/2025

We're just over a week into Step 4 Epilepsy, and the Australian Epilepsy Project has already reached more than 50% of our fundraising goal!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. If you've been thinking about donating to our team and helping improve the lives of those living with epilepsy, you can do so at the link below:

🔗 https://step4epilepsyactionactionau.gofundraise.com.au/page/AustralianEpilepsyProject

Every step—and every dollar—makes a difference.

Epilepsy Action Australia The Epilepsy Centre Epilepsy WA

01/09/2025

It’s Go Time! 🌟

The team at the Australian Epilepsy Project is officially stepping into action!

It's the 1st day of spring; Step 4 Epilepsy Action Australia is underway — and we’re hitting the ground walking! 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️

Every step we take this September brings us closer to the goal of 27 million steps — that’s 100 steps for every Australian living with epilepsy.

Help us make every step count. 💜

Support our team by donating here:

👉

At the Australian Epilepsy Project, our mission is clear: to improve outcomes for people living with epilepsy. While we continue to drive groundbreaking research, we’re also stepping up in another meaningful way — through Step 4 Epilepsy Action, a fundraising initiative close to our hearts.Every...

25/08/2025

📢 Publication Announcement

We’re proud to share our latest publication in Neurology! 🎉

Congratulations to Zanfina Ademi, Gopisankar MG, Graeme Jackson, Jonas Haderlein, Emma Foster, Patrick Kwan, Zhibin Chen the entire Australian Epilepsy Project team on publishing important health economics results, focusing on the impact of epilepsy on quality of life and productivity.

This work is a key component of our successful MRFF Frontier grant and highlights the broader value of improving epilepsy diagnosis and care across Australia.

Read the publication here: https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214011

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Monash University

Background and ObjectivesEpilepsy occurs in 4% of Australians over their lifetime. European studies show that over 75% of epilepsy-related health care costs are indirect, with 80% due to absenteeism. In Australia, studies capturing absenteeism in epilepsy ...

18/08/2025

AEP’s Health Economics Lead, Professor Zanfina Ademi, is driving national discussion on the value of preventive care, following her recent feature with ABC's special reporting team. Professor Ademi highlights that prevention is not just about reducing healthcare costs—it’s a strategic investment in improving quality of life and boosting national productivity.

She calls on policymakers to look beyond healthcare system efficiencies and recognise the broader economic returns of prevention, including its positive impact on workforce productivity and educational outcomes.

Read more here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-15/disease-chronic-health-conditions-work-productivity-economic/105646278

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Monash University
ABC Australia

Depression, cancer, sleep apnoea and migraines are among the leading health burdens on our workforce and it's costing Australia billions of dollars in lost work and lowered productivity, new research reveals.

05/08/2025

The AEP made headlines last week!

Professor Aileen McGonigal was featured in a recent interview, where she spoke about her work with the AEP Queensland Hub and its impact on epilepsy research and patient care.

Volunteers are now needed for Australia’s largest epilepsy study, led by Professor Graeme Jackson from The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in partnership with Mater Research.

https://www.materresearch.au/news-publications/news/2025/august/volunteers-needed-for-australia-s-largest-epilepsy-study

21/07/2025

The Australian Epilepsy Project proudly supports World Brain Day, an initiative led by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) to raise awareness of neurological disorders and their prevention, observed each year on July 22nd. This global campaign promotes education, advocates for equitable access to care, and underscores the importance of brain health for all.

This year’s theme focuses on brain health across all ages, reflecting WFN’s commitment to supporting brain health from preconception through to healthy aging. It highlights the urgent need for lifelong support, early intervention, and access to quality neurological care for every individual, at every stage of life.

Together, we can build a future where neurological health is prioritised, understood, and accessible to all.

To mark the occasion, The Florey is hosting a public lecture open to all.

Register your interest here:

https://events.humanitix.com/florey-public-lecture-world-brain-day

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
World Federation of Neurology - WFN

Free public lecture

17/07/2025

The AEP is proud to support fundraising efforts for Australians living with epilepsy.

This year, we'll be active across September and October with two major events:

👟 In September, we’re stepping up for the Step 4 Epilepsy Walk

You can sign up here:
https://step4epilepsy.com.au

👣 In October, we’re thrilled to take part once again in the Walk for Epilepsy

Join us in raising awareness and vital funds to support those living with epilepsy. Every step makes a difference!

You can sign up here:
https://www.walkforepilepsy.org.au/event

Epilepsy Action Australia Epilepsy Foundation of Australia Epilepsy Queensland Epilepsy WA Epilepsy Tasmania Epilepsy ACT The Epilepsy Centre
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

15/07/2025

📢 The Australian Epilepsy Project is proud to publish the AEP Impact Report, June 2025!

The Australian Epilepsy Project is delivering tangible healthcare outcomes for Australian epilepsy patients, while also building the foundation for future scientific breakthroughs in the understanding and treatment of epilepsy.

The AEP aims to build one of the world’s most comprehensive multi-modal datasets, serving as a valuable global resource for epilepsy research. Stories from participants have already shown the life-changing impact of faster and more accurate diagnosis — dramatically shortening the journey from diagnosis to seizure management, which can take up to twenty years under the current standard of care.

This report showcases the key achievements and outcomes of the AEP to date.

🔍 Key Findings:

10% of AEP MRI scans revealed previously undetected epileptogenic lesions — critical discoveries that can directly impact diagnosis and treatment.

1 in 30 participants were found to carry genetic results that may explain or contribute to their epilepsy.

1 in 2 participants have been identified as high risk for depression or anxiety — opening the door to earlier intervention and more personalised mental health care.

These insights are already helping shape more tailored, effective treatment plans for people living with epilepsy.

👉 Read the full AEP Impact Report:https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/651decb9020521fcc3c1e560/67ef1051bcc95e6f449e07bf_2c170d2f957890c51cf4bf97bed5db7b_AEP%20Impact%20Report%20April%202025.pdf

🚨 Welcome Perth and Sydney to the AEP National Network!
We are thrilled to announce our growing AEP National Network, having officially opened two new MRI sites in Sydney and Perth, joining our established centres in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Newcastle.

👉 To find out more on how to get involved and participate:
https://eoi.platform.epilepsyproject.org.au/

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health The University of Melbourne Epilepsy Action Australia Epilepsy Foundation of Australia Epilepsy WA ACT Epilepsy Tasmania The Epilepsy Centre Epilepsy Queensland Amazon Web Services