This week marked the opening of the first interstate AEP Hub with SAHMRI - South Australia’s independent not-for-profit health and medical research institute - joining the network.
South Australians living with epilepsy will now be able to get referred into the hub for advanced testing, free of charge, as part of their participation in the AEP.
“Enabling Adelaide’s medical research sector to engage with national initiatives like the AEP is a key reason that SAHMRI’s Clinical Trials Platform exists,” says Karen Best, Director, SAHMRI Clinical Trials Platform.
“We’re proud to be able to help at all stages of the project’s SA-based activities, from coordinating patient enrolment to making connections for diagnostic testing at facilities like the SAHMRI-based Clinical Research Imaging Centre.”
The AEP (Australian Epilepsy Project) is a multi-year research project at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health that is enabling people living with epilepsy to have access to advanced MRI scans, genetic analysis and cognitive testing.
Professor Graeme Jackson, the AEP’s Chief Investigator, says the ultimate aim of the AEP is to improve the standard of care and change the lives of people with epilepsy.
“Epilepsy is a life-long condition and we need life-long solutions,” says Professor Jackson.
“Using algorithms, imaging and rich data we can extract insights to predict patterns in epilepsy and create individualised treatment plans for patients. This is an exciting new standard of care that we’ll be able to offer people living with epilepsy.”
Now people in South Australia as well as Victoria will be able to attend local hubs as part of their AEP journey with referrals from Queensland and New South Wales set to open from mid-2023.
Find out more about becoming an AEP participant on our participants page.
Ask an Epilepsy Expert: What can I do to help my condition?
Ask an Epilepsy Expert: How is epilepsy diagnosed?
