The Curing the Epilepsies 2026: New Horizons Conference will be held on June 8-10, 2026 at the Natcher Conference Center, building 45, NIH Campus. The conference will also be streamed live on NIH videocast for virtual participation.
This two-and-a-half-day conference aims to bring together all stakeholders within the epilepsy research community and will serve as a critical forum to assess recent advances in basic, translational, and clinical science; identify persistent and emerging gaps in knowledge; and explore high-impact opportunities to accelerate progress across the epilepsy spectrum.
As with earlier Curing the Epilepsies conferences, the Epilepsy Benchmark Stewards Committee, coordinated by the American Epilepsy Society, will revise the Epilepsy Research Benchmarks, reflecting recent advances and stakeholder input. These reevaluated Benchmarks are intended to anchor research over the next 5-7 years in the issues that are key to understanding the epilepsies and improving meaningful outcomes for people with epilepsy through research. Participants will be encouraged to articulate transformative research priorities aimed at four overarching goals:
- Achieving cures for all forms of epilepsy with no disabling side effects
- Mitigating or eliminating the often-overlooked comorbidities that compromise quality of life
- Developing strategies to prevent epilepsy in individuals at risk due to genetic, structural, or acquired factors.
- Fostering collaboration among scientists, clinicians, people living with epilepsy, and advocacy communities
The agenda is posted on the Curing the Epilepsies 2026 website. In-person and virtual participation will require registration. Abstract submissions are invited for selection of poster presentations and flash-talks.
Contact
Post Event Summary
Curing the Epilepsies 2026: New Horizons, held June 8–10, 2026, brought together experts in genetics, acquired epilepsies, disease modeling, translational science, clinical trials, therapeutics, neuromodulation, surgery, data science, artificial intelligence (AI), public health, advocacy, and lived experience. The meeting examined how the field can move from discovery toward prevention, disease modification, equitable implementation, and cures for the epilepsies, while defining the research priorities, infrastructure, models, biomarkers, trials, and partnerships needed to accelerate progress across the lifespan.
Recordings of the conference are viewable via NIH VideoCast at the links below:
Curing the Epilepsies 2026: New Horizons (DAY 1, June 8, 2026)
Curing the Epilepsies 2026: New Horizons (DAY 2, June 9, 2026)
Curing the Epilepsies 2026: New Horizons (DAY 3, June 10, 2026)
Conference Materials
- Agenda(pdf, 160 KB)
- Program Book including poster session abstracts(pdf, 11466 KB)
- Meeting Summary(pdf, 894 KB)