Leuven Children's Epilepsy Center: where care and science come together

For decades, children and adolescents with complex epilepsy have received specialized care at UZ Leuven.
What is less well known: KU Leuven has also been conducting innovative research for many years to develop better treatments for children with epilepsy.

These two strong traditions—clinical care and scientific research—are now united in the Leuven Childhood Epilepsy Center, officially established on February 14, 2025.

The Center Is Built on Three Pillars

• Excellent care, tailored to the whole child and their environment
• Scientific research that can be applied directly in practice
• Training and education, so future caregivers can offer the same high quality

Our goal is clear: to improve the quality of life of children with epilepsy and their families.

We bring together experts from different disciplines in an innovative setting. By combining care, research, and education, new insights can reach clinical practice faster—and questions from practice can inspire groundbreaking research.

Multidisciplinary care: Your Child Comes First 

Epilepsy is complex. It’s not only about seizures, but also about how those seizures affect a child’s development, behavior, school performance, family life, and self-confidence. That’s why our center works with a multidisciplinary team. Alongside pediatric neurologists, we have psychologists, speech therapists, dietitians, social workers, and other specialists involved in care.

During consultations, parents and children have the chance to talk with these experts about their questions and concerns. For example:
How do you respond to a seizure as a parent? How do you explain epilepsy at school? What if your child struggles with concentration or making friends?
Together, we look for answers that fit your family’s unique situation.

We also actively monitor your child’s development in different areas. This way, we can step in early if extra support is needed—at school or at home.

Research That Makes a Difference

In addition to providing care, research plays an important role. Through fundamental research—sometimes using animal models—we are learning more about the genetic and biological causes of epilepsy. This knowledge helps us develop new treatments tailored to each child’s needs.

We also focus on practical, family-centered research, exploring questions such as:
How can we better understand and manage behavioral challenges in children with epilepsy? What supports recovery after brain surgery? How do we help teenagers with epilepsy who struggle with identity or self-esteem? What impact does epilepsy have on siblings and family life?

By combining research and care, we can turn new insights into better treatments, personalized support, and greater understanding—faster.

Working Together in an international network

The Leuven Childhood Epilepsy Center is part of a larger European network. UZ Leuven and KU Leuven have been active members of EpiCARE, the European Reference Network for rare and complex epilepsies, for many years. Within this network, we collaborate with leading specialists from across Europe. Together, we maintain a European register for rare and complex epilepsies.
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To share knowledge even further, our center is also planning an international postgraduate program for epilepsy specialists. This program will train young doctors from around the world to provide epilepsy care at the highest level.

Holistic care, backed by expertise

The center is led by Prof. Dr. Lieven Lagae, Prof. Dr. Katrien Jansen, and Prof. Dr. Daniëlle Copmans. We are part of the Leuven Brain Institute and work closely with various departments within UZ Leuven and KU Leuven.

This broad collaboration allows us to take a truly holistic approach: not only focusing on the medical diagnosis, but also on the child behind that diagnosis and the unique context of each family.

Learn more about the different partners we work with

Photos from the official launch of the center on February 14, 2025