LGS Foundation Debuts Novel Scientific Research Grant Program on Rare Disease Day

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) Foundation debuts new Cure LGS 365 Research Grants Program.

On Rare Disease Day, the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) Foundation^® formally debuts its new research grant program, Cure LGS 365. This novel funding mechanism allows researchers to submit letters of intent 365 days a year and funds worthy projects within two months of submission.

"LGS is a rare disease that can evolve from many other rare diseases," said Dr. Tracy Dixon-Salazar, the LGS Foundation's Executive Director and mother of an adult living with LGS. "How we treat LGS has remained roughly the same for the last 30 years - we try treatment after treatment and hope one of them might work. Those living with LGS, and pre-LGS, are in desperate need of treatments that target the root causes of LGS, as well as the root causes of seizures. Our goal is to stimulate research that will lead to new, better treatments."

With only a tiny fraction of public and private funds going towards research on LGS, families of the more than one million people with LGS worldwide worry that lifesaving, stabilizing treatment may not come to fruition in their loved one's lifetime. The LGS Foundation's Cure LGS 365 Research Grants Program is combating these fears. Since 2013, the LGS Foundation has awarded more than half a million dollars in funding for fourteen projects around the world and is poised to grow research funding rapidly.

Dr. Linda Dalic, Neurologist, Epileptologist, and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Melbourne, Australia, was recently awarded a $50,000 grant for her OPTImising STIMulation Parameters for Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Neuromodulation (OPTISTIM+) research project, which seeks to understand optimal stimulation settings for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in those with LGS.

"Patient families living with LGS work hard to raise funds that will advance research that matters most," says Dr. Dixon-Salazar. "We want to help move the needle on LGS research, and this is our way of doing that. We hope many researchers will apply."

To apply, please submit a short (up to two pages) letter of intent to [email protected] outlining your project, timeline, and a rough budget. There are no deadlines for submission. Proposals will be reviewed quickly by the Medical Science Advisory Board, Patient Family Advisory Board, and Ad-Hoc Reviewers. Invitations to submit a full proposal will be extended. Meritorious proposals will be funded immediately upon contracting.

About the LGS Foundation 
LGS is a rare, severe, life-threatening, epilepsy that leads to uncontrolled seizures, significant brain damage, and lifelong dependence on others for care. The LGS Foundation is the leading global organization committed to improving the lives of those impacted by LGS through advancing research, awareness, education, and family support. For more information visit www.lgsfoundation.org.

SOURCE LGS Foundation