GLUT1 DEFICIENCY - Key Persons
Dr Andreas Brunklaus, is a consultant paediatric neurologist at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow and honorary senior clinical lecturer at the University of Glasgow. He trained at the Charité Medical School, Humboldt University Berlin and completed his child neurology training at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. He obtained his MD from the University of Glasgow and has an ongoing research interest in epilepsy genetics, clinical epilepsy as well as quality of life in childhood epilepsies. He is widely published and an editorial board member of the European Journal of Paediatric Neurology.
Dr Brunklaus specialises in the diagnosis and management of childhood neurological disorders and epilepsies. Since 2015 he leads the West of Scotland children's ketogenic diet service looking after a large cohort of children with Glut-1 deficiency syndrome. He teaches widely, nationally and internationally and is committed towards improving the lives of children with epilepsy and neurological disorders.
Job Titles:
- Health Ireland
at Temple Street and Assistant Clinical Professor
Dr Kathleen Gorman is a Paediatric Neurologist in Children's Health Ireland
at Temple Street and Assistant Clinical Professor in University College Dublin.
She completed her higher specialist training in General Paediatrics in Ireland. During this time, she sub-specialised in paediatric neurology and completed a MD focusing on whole-exome sequencing in neurological conditions. She completed a clinical fellowship in neurocritical care at Ann and Robert Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago. Followed by a combined clinical and research fellowship in movement disorders and neurogenetics in Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London.
Her clinical and research interests include epilepsy, neurogenetics, movement disorders and neonatal neurology.
Job Titles:
- Medical Director of Aschaffenburg Children 's Hospital
- Professor
Dr. Klepper is the Medical Director of Aschaffenburg Children's Hospital in Aschaffenburg, Germany. Dr. Klepper's clinical interests include disorders of brain energy metabolism such as Glut1 Deficiency and pyruvate dehydrogenase. His research interests include the mechanisms and adverse effects of the ketogenic diet on these disorders and establishing international protocols for the use of the ketogenic diet for epilepsy and metabolic disorders. Dr. Klepper earned his medical degree at Frankfurt/M and Würzburg University and completed his pediatric training at Würzburg and Essen University in Germany.
He then completed his fellowship at Columbia University in New York City. In addition to his role at Aschaffenburg Children's Hospital, Dr. Klepper serves as a consultant for pediatric neurology at Essen University and a lecturer on pediatrics at Essen University and Würzburg University. He is a board member of the Neuropaedriatric Society and a member of the German Paediatric Society.
Job Titles:
- Prince of Wales 's Chair of Childhood Epilepsy
Professor Helen Cross is The Prince of Wales's Chair of Childhood Epilepsy and Head of the Developmental Neuroscience Research and Teaching Department at UCL-Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Neurology Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London and Young Epilepsy, Lingfield, UK. Her research has been targeted at improving outcomes in early onset epilepsy, specifically in assessing the role of surgery and ketogenic diet. She has held key leadership roles both nationally and internationally
She is currently Treasurer of the International League Against Epilepsy 2017-2021 (President elect 2021-2025), Clinical Advisor to the National Children's Epilepsy Surgery Service, and Clinical Advisor to the update of the NICE guidelines for Childhood Epilepsy 2018-2021. She developed, as Coordinator, the European Reference Network for Rare and Complex Epilepsies (EpiCARE) launched in 2017. She received an ILAE Ambassador for Epilepsy award in 2007, and is a recipient of the American Academy of Neurology Sydney Carter Award, The International Child Neurology Association Frank Ford Award and the American Epilepsy Clinical Research Award. She received an OBE for contributions to childhood epilepsy in 2015.
Helen is based in England and is Mum to William who was born
in 2007. William was diagnosed with Glut1 in 2010 aged 3.5. William has made great progress. He is seizure free and gains new skills all the time.
I graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2002 and always knew I wanted to work in paediatric dietetics. I got my first paediatric job in Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool in 2005. I loved working there and it holds many lovely memories including having my three beautiful children and starting in the world of ketogenic diets as I set up the KD clinic there in 2009. As a family we decided to return to Scotland in 2013 and fortunately I managed to secure a new Daisy Garland funded lead ketogenic dietitian
job at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow in 2014.
Meadbh is based in Ireland and is mum to Paul who was diagnosed in 2012 with Glut1 Deficiency when he was 5. He continues to adhere strictly to the Ketogenic Diet which has eliminated seizures and improved his quality of life.
Sheena is based in Scotland and mum to twins Maisie and Ruby. Ruby was diagnosed in 2011 with Glut1 at age 2.5 years. Ruby is on the ketogenic diet and was fitted with a feeding tube in 2019. Ruby is determined and has an infectious smile!
Stefanie is based in Scotland and is mum to Adam and Evan. Adam was diagnosed in 2010 and has been on the classical version of the Ketogenic Diet since that time. "Glut1 life and the ketogenic diet have presented many challenges but also opened wonderful opportunities and experiences, meeting our extended Glut1 families, and participating in the Special Olympics winning medals in cycling an amazing achievement!"
Trudy is based in Wales and is Mum to Daniel and Cleo. Cleo was born in 1995 diagnosed with Glut1 Deficiency Syndrome in 2002. Cleo began the Ketogenic Diet in 2002 and opted to be fitted with a feeding tube in 2018. Trudy is the current volunteer Glut1 Deficiency Foundation, European Outreach Director.
I am a published author of a book and multiple articles on the use of the ketogenic diet and I am co-chair of the ketogenic dietitian's research network. I have presented both nationally and internationally at conferences and support groups and I have a specialist interest in the use of the ketogenic diet in GLUT-1 deficiency and work to improve outcomes, education, patient experience and compliance.