Epilepsy Research UK was formed by the merger of the Epilepsy Research Foundation and the Fund for Epilepsy. It is the only national charity exclusively dedicated to research into epilepsy. Over 600,000 people in the UK have a diagnosis of epilepsy. Epilepsy can take many forms from a momentary blank spell to a dramatic major convulsion. Even with control of seizures, the quality of life for people with epilepsy can be unpredictable and restricted. However, new research offers the very real possibility of developing therapies that could prevent these deaths and transform the lives of those affected. Developments in drug therapy and medical scanning, along with major breakthroughs in the study of the human genome, mean that great progress has been made in understanding the causes of epilepsy in recent years. Even greater advances will be made in the coming years and our research will be at the forefront of developments to control, and perhaps even cure, epilepsy.