Epilepsy research brings award to Australian expert

AN AUSTRALIAN epilepsy specialist was last night awarded one of the top international awards for women in science at a ceremony in Paris.

Recognised for her groundbreaking work establishing that some forms of epilepsy have a genetic base, Professor Ingrid Scheffer, of Melbourne University, becomes only the third Australian laureate of the L'Oreal-UNESCO women in science awards, which date back to 1998.

Scientist Ingrid Scheffer: 'I regard each patient as a research question'.

Speaking to The Age in Paris, Professor Scheffer said at least 70 per cent of epilepsy had a genetic component.

But it was only in the 1970s that scientists considered this an option, in addition to the long-held belief that epilepsy was acquired through a brain injury or tumour.

''Epilepsy is a disorder where individuals experience unpredictable attacks, which may simply be staring spells or frightening convulsive attacks where they fall to the ground,'' she said. ''It used to be thought of as due to the devil inside people, and although we like to think the stigma is gone, it's not the case.''

She said winning such an award on the world stage would help ''bring epilepsy out of the shadows''.


A paediatric neurologist, Professor Scheffer and her research group discovered the first gene linked to epilepsy in 1995, a gene mutation that causes violent seizures during sleep.

The impact of her research has been significant. It has not only changed the way the disorder is researched and treated, but also opened the way for predictive testing for families, as much of her work has concentrated on identifying the genetic pathways by which different types of epilepsy are passed down in families.

''Many people think that real science involves a lab with test tubes,'' Professor Scheffer said. ''My science is different. I regard each patient as a research question.''

Professor Scheffer, who chairs paediatric neurology research at the Florey Institutes, Melbourne University, was named the Asia Pacific region laureate for 2012.

Bridie Smith went to Paris with L'Oreal.