Core Outcomes for Refractory childhood Epilepsy treated with Ketogenic Diet Therapy

Jen Carroll is a registered dietitian and was a specialist paediatric ketogenic dietitian in the NHS for over 5 years, supporting many families to undertake the ketogenic diet. She became a lecturer in dietetics in 2014 which she continues today at the University of Plymouth. Jen is an active member of the Ketogenic Dietitians Research Network and is leading the CORE-KDT study in pursuit of a PhD.

‘I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead this research and enable parents’ voices to be heard in the development of this core outcome set’

Avril Collinson is the academic lead for the Dietetic and Nutrition team here at the University of Plymouth. She is Director of Studies for Jen’s PhD studies, which is looking at developing a core outcome set for childhood epilepsy treated with a ketogenic diet. She is a registered dietitian and has worked in many different dietetic specialities in the NHS, private practice and overseas. 

‘This is a really valuable project which will develop standard outcomes in this area to allow for comparisons between studies and findings’

Mary Hickson is Professor of Dietetics at the University of Plymouth. She leads the Dietetics, Human Nutrition and Health Research Group promoting research in all areas of dietetic practice. Mary is a registered dietitian and worked for over 25 years in the NHS.

“This project is crucial to underpin future research in ketogenic diet therapy. It is also vital to ensure the parent voice is heard in the development of such research. I am delighted to support Jen’s PhD studies in this area.”

Professor Helen Cross is The Prince of Wales’s Chair of Childhood Epilepsy and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Neurology at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, and Young Epilepsy, Lingfield.

She is currently Clinical Advisor to the Children’s Epilepsy Surgery Services (CESS) (2012-present), Clinical Topic Advisor to the update of the NICE guidelines on the Paediatric epilepsies (2018-2020), Senior NIHR investigator 2016-2020 and elected Treasurer of the ILAE to serve 2017-2021. She is on the Editorial Board of Epileptic Disorders, Epilepsy Research, and European Journal of Paediatric Neurology. Her major research interest is in improving outcomes in early onset epilepsies, using new interventions including the ketogenic diet, publishing the first RCT demonstrating definitive efficacy in 2008.

CEO/Founder – Matthew’s Friends Charity - Global
Director – Matthew’s Friends Clinics Ltd

Emma Williams set up the Matthew’s Friends charity for medical Ketogenic Dietary Therapies in her son’s name in 2004 due to his incredible response to going on the diet. Working with their international medical advisory board, the organisation works globally with several branches now in operation and in 2011 they opened their own Clinic in the UK treating both children and adults with complex epilepsy and Glut 1 Deficiency Syndrome. They have also run a clinical case series programme for those with Brain tumours. 2016 saw them extend their remit further to include the ‘KetoCollege’ side of the organisation which is a training programme for medical professionals who want to work in this field, with online training tutorials being launched in 2019. 

Emma has worked full time in this field for nearly 20 years as well as being mum to Matthew and Alice. She has supported thousands of families and is a leading advocate for medical ketogenic therapies being an International Patron of Diets for Epilepsy in India, as well as serving on the Executive Board for the Global Symposia for Ketogenic Dietary Therapies and from 2017 is leading the dietary therapies team for EpiCARE – the European Reference Network for Rare and Complex Epilepsies. 

In June 2013 Emma was recognised by The Queen and awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list for her services to children with epilepsy. 

“I am so pleased that this work is being undertaken, as a parent of a child that has complex epilepsy and who has used ketogenic dietary therapy for a number of years, it is important that we are involved in future developments”

Val Aldridge's experience in nursing began in 1980 through roles in dental and auxiliary nursing. She qualified as an enrolled nurse in 1984, then as a registered nurse in 1990, quickly specialising in coronary care.

"I have 2 children Robyn and Greg, there is only 15 months between them, I thought I would be getting them into school and back to work, that’s when epilepsy decided to take my family down a different path! Greg’s seizures started when he was 4 that is also when his behaviour changed. After 4 years of absolute hell I met Emma and learnt about the diet. I also met Professor Cross on a surgical referral, when surgery was not an option we ended up starting Greg on MCT Ketogenic diet as part of the GOSH trial.

It wasn’t long after, that Emma rang and asked if I would like to be involved with a charity she was thinking of starting up. The ketogenic diet was not just a treatment for Greg but for the whole family. Despite never becoming seizure free he was so much brighter, and when he laughed I realised I had not heard him laugh for a very long time. I dread to think how life would have been had we not had the chance of a dietary treatment.

That is why I have continued to work with Matthew's Friends as assistant co-ordinator and my husband Richard and I became trustees of Matthew's Friends the charity, to make these dietary treatments available to any child or adult wishing to try them. I have also gained a vocational certificate in epilepsy care via distance learning to gain a broader knowledge of epilepsy.

Over the last 15 years I have gained much experience in implementing the dietary treatments personally with Greg, through supporting our families & since 2011 in my role as Ketogenic Assistant in Matthews Friends clinics."

“This is a great opportunity to wrinkle out how success is truly measured on ketogenic therapies. I am very excited to be a part of the project! “