9th June 2023
A collaboration looking to develop technology that will enhance the experiences of people with epilepsy, and support those caring for them, has secured a national award.
The work between Neuronostics and the University of Plymouth earned the Partnership with Academia category at the Medilink UK Healthcare Business Awards.
It celebrates both the scientific research, and the technological innovations it is helping to deliver, and comes on the back of the collaboration winning the south west regional awards in March this year.
The prize acknowledges the strong links between Neuronostics and Professor Rohit Shankar MBE, Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Director of the University’s Cornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research (CIDER) unit.
We have worked closely together since the company was incorporated in 2018 and this award builds on a number of accolades we have already won, including the TechSW HealthTech award 2022 and Falling Walls Foundation Science Venture 2022.
This latest accolade was presented during an event held at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham, attended by almost 300 leading figures and decision-makers from across the life sciences and healthcare technology sector.
Professor John Terry, Co-Founder and Managing Director said:
“Through his clinical role as a Consultant in Developmental Neuropsychiatry at the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Professor Shankar runs a clinic for people with epilepsy who also have a learning disability.
His first work with Neuronostics was supported by an Innovate UK Health and Life Sciences grant and enabled the company to develop a platform that delivers a report to clinicians which incorporates the BioEP seizure risk score.
Building on this success, and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the collaboration worked with eight NHS sites to collate the largest and most well curated database of historic electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings from people with epilepsy and those with suspected epilepsy who went on to receive an alternative diagnosis.
It comprised more than 800 recordings from 600 patients, and was able to minimize the impact of misdiagnosis that had previously hindered studies into the added value that novel biomarkers might bring to diagnostic decision support.”
Professor Shankar, who was made an MBE for services to people with Developmental Disabilities in Cornwall in 2018, said:
“This award is further testimony of the developing evidence that BioEP can positively influence patient early diagnosis and outcomes. It is something we will now look to build on with our partners at Neuronostics as we explore the potential for future research endeavours.”
