Every two years, we host a very special event: a multi-day family conference and scientific meeting. This year, we gathered in Boston from August 1-3, and it was a huge success! With record-breaking attendance of over family members, clinicians, researchers, therapists, social workers, and other professionals—there was something for everyone.

The conference featured a variety of sessions:

• We started with an inspiring keynote address on the neuroscience of creativity by Dr. Phillip Pearl, Director of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology at Boston Children’s Hospital. 
• We also had a fantastic session on the science of reading, where experts Anya Maloney and Dr. Joanna Christodoulou from The Brain, Education, & Mind (BEAM) Lab shared best practices for helping struggling readers. 
• Plus, there was a special track for adults who had epilepsy surgery as children, giving them a space to connect and share their experiences while also learning from experts about stress management and employment skills.
• More than 30 sessions covered education, services and supports, adult life, medical issues including devices, surgery, and reoperation, and research findings on post-surgical outcomes.

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Researchers were also busy during the conference, studying different aspects of epilepsy surgery outcomes. Some focused on how kids and adults do with reading, math, and vision after surgery. Others conducted research at places like the Schepens Eye Research Institute, looking at how teens and young adults drive with hemianopia (partial vision loss) after hemispheric surgery. Some kids even had functional MRIs so that researchers could learn more about how their brains work.

And of course, we made sure to have some fun too! We wrapped up the conference with a lively dance party, bringing everyone together to celebrate. It was an incredible experience for everyone. Families got to meet and support each other, while professionals exchanged ideas to improve the lives of people with drug-resistant epilepsy who have had or need epilepsy surgery.

The 2024 conference theme was “Better Together.” The focus on collaboration was a true highlight, showing us all how much more we can achieve when we work together as an alliance of families, researchers, clinicians, and experts moving mountains for the children we serve.

We’re excited to see how the connections made and the knowledge gained at this conference will continue to benefit our community. Here’s to many more years of coming together and making a difference—because we truly are better together!

Our deepest gratitude to our corporate partners and supporters who made this important conference possible for our families. Because of your partnership, we were able to create a space where families, experts, and advocates could come together, learn from one another, and build a stronger network of support for these amazing children.

“LivaNova is a proud supporter of the PESA Research and Family Conference. Events like these are a lifeline for families to learn more about their treatment options and build a strong community. Thank you to PESA for organizing a great event and including LivaNova to be a part of it”

-Lauren Baker, Marketing Manager, LivaNova