New research and treatments for epilepsy have come a long way in the last several years. In this Q&A, we talk with Dr. Edward “Rusty” Novotny, director of Seattle Children’s Epilepsy Program and professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Washington. As the director of one of the largest epilepsy programs in the nation and the program exclusively dedicated to pediatrics in the Northwest accredited level 4 by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, Dr. Novotny answers questions about advances in epilepsy treatment. The role of genetics and genomics in identifying the causes of epilepsy is a growing area of research that leads directly to better, more personalized treatments. Our Neurosciences Center combines multidisciplinary clinical care, rapid genetic testing, and pioneering research to identify the genetic cause of a child’s condition to provide an individualized approach to treatment. We provide rapid, customized, next-generation gene and genome sequencing through our partnership with the University of Washington. Our interdisciplinary epilepsy genetics clinic has identified new genetic causes of epilepsy and facilitated genetic testing to be obtained. This has resulted in early diagnosis and an end to the “diagnostic odyssey.” Our researchers were among the first to identify a group of genetic mutations attributed to brain malformations, cognitive delays and epilepsy. Since many existing drugs target the pathway, their discoveries opened the floodgates to finding better therapies for epilepsy.
