November is Epilepsy Awareness Month, a time dedicated to elevating understanding, advancing research, and honoring the more than 3 million Americans living with epilepsy. This year, the University of Minnesota is marking the month with a major milestone in epilepsy research and innovation.
For the past five years, Dr. David Darrow and his team across the University have worked collaboratively to curate one of the highest-resolution epilepsy datasets in the country. This ambitious effort brings together continuous intracranial EEG (iEEG), synchronized clinical video, advanced imaging, precise electrode localization, medication records, and detailed surgical and neuropsychological outcomes.
Now, this work is being formalized into a secure, scalable, UMN-owned epilepsy data repository, launching with 100 fully curated patient datasets. The result is a uniquely comprehensive and deeply integrated resource designed to accelerate scientific discovery and improve patient care.
This MnDRIVE Brain Conditions-aligned initiative will empower researchers across neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, engineering, and computer science to explore the brain with unprecedented precision. By uniting multimodal, high-resolution data in a single ecosystem, the repository will help advance seizure prediction technologies, refine surgical targeting, map brain networks, and support the development of more personalized and effective approaches to epilepsy treatment.
As we recognize Epilepsy Awareness Month, this project reflects the University of Minnesota’s ongoing commitment to innovation, collaboration, and improving the lives of people affected by epilepsy.
