- To mark Purple Day (26 March) the University library will be lit up in purple
- The campaign is dedicated to raising awareness of epilepsy and the effect the condition has on the lives of its patients
- Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterised by seizures which are caused by excessive electrical activity within networks of neurons in the brain.
Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) is marking Purple Day (26 March) by lighting up the Aston University library in purple between 24 March and 26 March.
Purple Day is a global initiative dedicated to raising epilepsy awareness. Purple Day was founded in 2008, by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada. Motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy, Cassidy started Purple Day in an effort to get people talking about the condition and to let those impacted by seizures know that they are not alone.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterised by seizures which are caused by excessive electrical activity within networks of neurons in the brain.
According to the Epilepsy Society, there are around 60 million people globally with epilepsy and over 600,000 people in the UK with the condition. Epilepsy affects around 60,000 children and young people under-18 in the UK.
Researchers at Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) understand the impact of epilepsy on children and their families, and work closely with patient organisations, other research institutions and clinicians to improve the lives of those affected through their child-centred research.
IHN co-director, Professor Gavin Woodhall, said: “IHN members work hard to answer the questions that matter to the epilepsy community. This includes research into new drugs, autoimmune epilepsies and the most difficult to treat drug-resistant epilepsies.
“In the run up to Purple Day we will be bringing medical doctors and researchers in the Midlands together to discuss the UK Epilepsy Priority Setting Partnership’s (PSP) Top Ten Priorities. This meeting aims to drive forward research to have a meaningful impact on the lives of those affected by epilepsy.”
Staff and students will be showing their support by wearing purple in the run up to Purple Day on 26 March and sharing their pictures on social media using the hashtags #PurpleDay #Epilepsy #TeamAston as well as tagging @Aston_IHN.
For more information about Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment visit its website.
- Notes to editors
About Aston University
Founded in 1895 and a university since 1966, Aston University is a long established university led by its three main beneficiary groups – students, business and the professions, and the West Midlands region and wider society. Located in Birmingham at the heart of a vibrant city, the campus houses all the University’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our students. Professor Aleks Subic is the Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive.
In 2022 Aston University was ranked in the top 25 of the Guardian University Guide, based on measures including entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality and graduate prospects. The Aston Business School MBA programme was ranked in the top 100 in the world in the Economist MBA 2021 ranking.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Rebecca Hume, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44)7557 745416 or email: r.hume@aston.ac.uk