"We live in the golden era of brain research," says Jaideep Kapur, MBBS, PhD, a neurologist, researcher, and director of the UVA Brain Institute.
When he describes his research, Kapur talks excitedly about the explosion of new knowledge happening now that seemed impossible just 10 years ago.
In the Kapur lab, researchers work to better understand and treat status epilepticus. They're building on groundbreaking work published in 2019 that set the standard for treating patients who fail first-line therapy.
Watch Kapur talk about his research and read his answers to our questions below.
What are you working on right now?
I study epilepsy in experimental settings and in patients by conducting clinical trials. I specifically study mechanisms behind prolonged seizures, called status epilepticus. Our studies seek to find new therapies. We are intrigued by the metabolic and respiratory demands of protracted seizures. We also study brain circuits engaged by seizures.
What are the most intriguing potential clinical applications of your work?
A previous clinical trial of ours, the Established Status Epilepticus Treatment Trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019, set the standard treatment of status epilepticus in patients who fail first-line benzodiazepine therapy. We plan to improve the treatment of status epilepticus by conducting another multi-center clinical trial soon.
What discovery, paper, or presentation impacted the way you think?
How diet, metabolism, and exercise help with seizures and brain health. We are intrigued by the receptors the body utilizes to monitor fat and carbohydrate metabolism. The brain cells — neurons and glia — express these receptors and perhaps monitor fat and carbohydrate metabolism in the brain. We are investigating the brain function of these receptors.
What made you choose UVA Health as the place to do your research?
UVA Health is world-renowned for its epilepsy research!
What do you wish more people knew about your area of research?
The brain is vastly complex, but rapid genetics, imaging, and bioinformatics innovations propel our research. We can investigate questions that appeared beyond reach only a decade ago. Novel treatments and novel applications of existing drugs will continue to emerge.
How did you become interested in your area of research?
I was always intrigued by the brain, our ability to visualize, understand, and remember the world around us. Studying epilepsy provides a unique window into the brain and provides hope for improving treatment of this terrible disease.