Research into the condition in Ireland has also been underfunded despite the high prevalence of epilepsy in the Irish population. Nevertheless, clinicians and researchers from Trinity College Dublin have created an environment that can lead to the development of a worldclass programme in basic and clinical epileptology, the branch of neurology focused specifically on the study and treatment of epilepsy. Eight principal investigators from basic and laboratory sciences, through translational and clinical science to healthcare delivery, are all working in close collaboration with each other and a range of international research centres. Dr Colin Doherty, the clinical lead for the Irish National Epilepsy Care Programme, is coordinating nationwide research into clinical pathways to improve outcomes of patients admitted to hospital with seizures. He is a member of the EPIGEN consortium, which is an international group of genetics researchers from University College London, Duke University (North Carolina), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin.
TRINITY REMEMBERS The legacy of Ellen Mayston Bates is making a transformational impact on the understanding and treatment of epilepsy enabling new insights into this serious brain disorder for the benefit of sufferers. Across Trinity there are myriads of other examples of legacy funding to support scholarship, research and development making a real difference in people’s lives.
The consortium was granted research funding from the National Institutes of Health in the US and the European Union totalling €3 million to perform multicentre studies into the genetics of epilepsy. Further collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School are ongoing with regard to brain imaging in epilepsy. A transformational bequest of over €3 million left by Ellen Mayston Bates for epilepsy research provides Trinity with an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen the area, for which there is already a strong foundation. Resources from the bequest will be used to create a Chair in Experimental Epilepsy, which will be named after Ellen Mayston Bates. This major investment enables us to consolidate all aspects of epilepsy research and to take advantage of the rich data that has been collected. This legacy will live in perpetuity and it is hoped that Ellen’s name will be associated with future breakthroughs in epilepsy research to benefit the many sufferers of this debilitating condition.
In 2011/2012, Trinity College Dublin was honoured to have been remembered by the following legacy benefactors: • Niall Bell
• Larry O'Hara
• Brian Davies
• Molly Owen
• Anna Foy
• Joan Scales
• Thomas Edward Glynn
• Jean Sowa
• Dr John Gilbert Kirker
• John Spiller
For their generosity we will always remember them.
Remember. Oregon Maple Library Square Planted early 1800s
The power of a legacy to Trinity There’s an old saying that the true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade one does not expect to sit. When you leave a legacy to Trinity, however big or small, you’re planting a tree which will grow to provide shelter to many. You’re empowering ground-breaking research which will benefit people in Ireland and all over the world. You’re supporting students from all backgrounds to access a Trinity education. You’re helping preserve our unique campus and heritage for new generations. When you remember Trinity in your will, you join a tradition of giving that stretches back over 400 years - and reaches far into the future. For more information about leaving a legacy to Trinity, please contact Eileen Punch. T: +353 1 896 1714 E: eileen.punch@tcd.ie www.tcd.ie/development
Impact Spring 2013
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