Commentary
Video
2025 LGS Meeting Reflections and Engagement Opportunities in Research
Experts noted that the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome Foundation is a welcoming platform for collaboration, research advancement, and career development in the field. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]
WATCH TIME: 5 minutes | Captions are auto-generated and may contain errors.
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a rare epilepsy syndrome that typically begins in childhood and is associated with frequent seizures, cognitive impairment, and long-term disability. Earlier this year, the LGS Foundation hosted its 3rd biennial LGS Research Meeting of the Minds, held July 21–22, 2025, bringing together caregivers, researchers, health care providers, scientists, advocacy representatives, and industry partners to discuss clinically relevant strategies to advance evidence-based LGS care across the lifespan.
In collaboration with LGS Foundation, NeurologyLive® held a roundtable discussion with 2 pediatric experts who attended and participated in the meeting. Throughout the panel discussion, the duo covered topics like major gaps in LGS care, fostering connections among diverse stakeholders, and shaping strategies to guide future research. The guests featured in this panel included Scott Perry, MD, head of neurosciences at the Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center of Cook Children’s Medical Center, and Gita Gupta, MD, MS, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University.
In this final episode, Perry and Gupta reflected on their experiences at the 2025 LGS Research Meeting of the Minds. They highlighted the LGS Foundation’s approachability and commitment to fostering collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and families. Both experts noted the value of engaging with the Foundation for career development, particularly for early-career professionals seeking mentorship, networking, and opportunities to establish themselves in the field. They also emphasized the meaningful and impactful nature of the research supported by the Foundation, reinforced by the active involvement of families and the broader research community.
Transcript edited for clarity. Click here to view more content of the LGS Foundation.
Isabella Ciccone, MPH: Do you have any closing remarks on your experience from this year’s meeting as a whole? Is there anything you would like to say to those who may be interested in attending this meeting in the future, what they can get out of it?
Scott Perry, MD: From my perspective, for people who are interested and want to get involved, I definitely encourage them to look for the next one in 2 years. We have the meeting of the minds every two years to inform the research direction for the following 2 years. One thing about the LGS Foundation is, number one, they're super approachable, and they're super eager to work with people. We very much appreciate anyone who has an interest in our condition that we're focused on, and we welcome people to join the team. This is a great opportunity, especially for young people who are really trying to find maybe a direction or a niche in their career. There are a lot of great opportunities here to connect, build up teams, and really establish yourself as a leader in this area. So, I would definitely encourage people to look for that.
Gita Gupta, MS, MS: I guess I can echo what Dr. Perry said. The LGS Foundation has been such a welcoming group. I always leave the meeting with such a sense of purpose, renewal, and excitement about my projects. They've funded some of my research, and one thing that excites me about the research that the LGS Foundation does is that it's meaningful and impactful. It's meaningful because the families are right there, the foundation is right there, and all your colleagues are there, endorsing that this is important work to do. You don't want to waste your time doing work that's not important. I've found it to be a wonderful organization to be part of.
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