News

Encephalitis International is Carbon Neutral!
28 April 2025
We’re delighted to announce that we are now a carbon neutral verified organization and support verified carbon offsetting projects around the world! What does carbon neutral organization mean? An organization is carbon neutral when they calculate their carbon emissions and compensate for what they have produced via carbon offsetting projects. All projects supported are independently […]
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Extraordinary concert raises funds in memory of Eleanor
24 April 2025
We are always deeply thankful to many of our community who raise funds for Encephalitis International in a variety of ways. Earlier this year, on the 9th February 2025, Peter and Kathy Haigh in partnership with the Masquerade and Belcanto Ladies Choirs organised a fundraising concert at Kettering Arts Centre to raise funds in memory […]
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Celebrating 25 years with Dr Ava Easton
24 April 2025
Today marks 25 years since Ava started working for Encephalitis International and what a 25 years it has been! To help celebrate this incredible milestone we thought we should share some of her career highlights and successes (trust us there are many more!) – not in any particular order! Earlier this year the World Health […]
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Clinical Trials: What are they? And why do they matter?
3 April 2025
By Mark Warburton In healthcare, every medicine, vaccine, or treatment you might encounter has gone through a rigorous process of investigation and analysis. At the heart of this process are clinical trials – carefully designed research studies which test medical interventions to make sure that they are safe and they work properly. The field of […]
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The What, Why, When and Where of Will Writing
1 April 2025
Thousands of non-profits like Encephalitis International rely on legacies – gifts that people have left in their will – to fund their charitable work across the world. Encephalitis International dedicates campaigns to promote leaving a gift in your will and has webpages featuring this area of our fundraising: Gift in Will – Leave a Legacy […]
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Improving brain infection diagnostics in India
18 March 2025
By Dr Angel T Miraclin India (Vellore Centre) Co-Investigator, Brain Infections Global Intervention Study Associate Professor, Neurology, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India. To view the full paper click here (external link). Brain infections remain a major cause of illness and death, requiring timely and accurate diagnosis for effective treatment. In India, the healthcare […]
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Improving brain infection diagnostics in Malawi
18 March 2025
By Dr Gareth D Lipunga Malawi Study Physician, Brain Infections Global Intervention Study, Study Physician, Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme & Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi. To view the full paper click here (external link). In an effort to improve timely diagnosis and early management of patients with suspected brain infections, we implemented a […]
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Brain infection diagnostics in Brazil and beyond
14 March 2025
By Dr Rafael FO Franca Brazil Principal Investigator, Brain Infections Global Intervention Study Virologist & Group Leader, Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation), and currently Director, Fiocruz São Paulo. To view the full paper click here (external link). Brain infections, including encephalitis and meningitis, pose a serious health challenge, particularly for impoverished populations who are more […]
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Encephalitis International Conference 2024
7 March 2025
The 2024 Encephalitis International Conference was held in person and virtually at the Royal College of Physicians from 2nd – 3rd December 2024. The Encephalitis International Conference is a two-day event that is the largest of its kind. In 2024, the conference brought together 515 delegates across 71 countries, virtually and in person, at the […]
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Encephalitis 2024: hear from those who were awarded the Conference bursary
5 March 2025
Photo: Dr Dulmini Weerathunga, Dr Ava Easton -Encephalitis International, Dr Enrique Steff Hernandez Rojas An encephalitis experience from a tropical country Dr Enrique Steff Hernández Rojas, Neurologist, Colombia On my way to becoming a Neurological Infectious Diseases expert, being at the Encephalitis International Conference of 2024 was definitively one of most exciting moments in my […]
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Psychology Today - The Inflamed Brain (March 2025)
3 March 2025
Lessons Should Have Been Learned From Previous Pandemics What have we learned from COVID-19, SARS, and MERS? By Emma Collins In December 2024, on the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, UN-Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated: “The COVID-19 crisis may have passed, but a harsh lesson remains: The world is woefully unprepared for the next pandemic.” Global […]
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Criminality in patients with autoimmune encephalitis
28 February 2025
Key points: Study links autoimmune encephalitis to delayed criminal behaviour. Treated patients showed lasting behavioural changes despite reduced antibodies. Delayed treatment may cause permanent brain changes in patients. Introduction Although patients with autoimmune encephalitis respond to immunotherapy, many exhibit neurobehavioural features. A 2024 retrospective study examined five cases of criminal behaviour among autoimmune encephalitis (AE) patients seen […]
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World Encephalitis Day History
14 February 2025
World Encephalitis Day is the biggest day of the year for people whose lives have been affected by inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis International established this global awareness day on the 22nd February 2014. Since its launch in 2014, World Encephalitis Day has reached 628 million people globally in our efforts to grow global awareness […]
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GENIE – A Portuguese association for autoimmune encephalitis research and care
7 February 2025
By Ana Vasconcelos (GENIE member) On January 24th, at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), we celebrated the official launch and inaugural meeting of GENIE – Grupo de Estudos em Neuroimunologia e Encefalites (translated as Neuroimmunology and Encephalitis Study Group). GENIE is a Portuguese association dedicated to raising awareness, conducting and disseminating research, fostering collaborations, and […]
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Lights, Camera, Encephalitis Awareness!
4 February 2025
Encephalitis International Deputy CEO, Phillippa Chapman and supporter of the non-profit Macy had the privilege to go to the World premiere of Bridget Jones diary 4: Mad about the Boy on Wednesday 29th January at Leicester Square Odeon Theatre. It was a star studded affair with sightings of all the cast including Bridget Jones herself – […]
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Psychology Today - The Inflamed Brain (January 2025)
4 February 2025
Mental Health and the Inflamed Brain By Dr James Marsh Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain often caused by infections or autoimmune processes, is a serious and sometimes life-altering condition. While the acute symptoms of encephalitis—including seizures, confusion, and headaches—are typically the focus of initial medical attention, an equally pressing but often overlooked aspect is the long-term […]
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WED Appeal
31 January 2025
On the 1st February 2025 we launch our World Encephalitis Day Appeal – countdown to change. Inspired by a petition signed by 27,678 of you, our encephalitis community, from 128 countries to “Show the World Health Organization that encephalitis matters” in 2019, this year’s World Encephalitis Day appeal, and campaign more broadly, marks a seminal […]
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Encephalitis - A Growing Global Threat - Global Policy Launch Event
22 January 2025
Encephalitis – a growing global threat Global Policy Launch Event Wednesday 19th February 2025, 6pm GMT – click the link below to join virtually. Global Policy Launch | Encephalitis International Inspired by a petition signed by 27,678 of you, our encephalitis community, from 128 countries to “Show the World Health Organization that encephalitis matters” in […]
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22 Club
22 January 2025
In March 2024 Encephalitis International launched its first ever business club – The 22 Club. The aim was simple, to give members of our community who are positioned to support our work via their businesses willingness to support nonprofits the chance to form a more meaningful partnership, gain benefits from supporting our work and join […]
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Experts call for unified classification system for tick-borne encephalitis
17 January 2025
A recent paper involving Encephalitis International’s CEO Ava Easton has highlighted a critical gap in how we classify tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infections. The research, published in the scientific journal ‘Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases’, brought together an expert panel of European clinicians and scientists with diverse expertise in TBEV infection to create a consensus statement […]
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Support Encephalitis International - Donate Online
6 January 2025
We’re very excited to be launching our new online donation form! This is hosted on our website and will allow our supporters to make a donation in a number of currencies: Great British Pounds, £GBP Euros, €EUR Australian Dollars, $AUD American Dollars, $USD Payments can be made using a credit / debit card, or via […]
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Fundraising for Encephalitis International
20 December 2024
As we near the end of 2024, we want to congratulate all our wonderful fundraisers – over 300 across the world – who have spread awareness and raised vital funds throughout the year. Their generosity ensures we can continue to support the encephalitis community into the future. Our 99 Brain Gamers spent September challenging themselves with […]
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David Brown 1952-2024
11 December 2024
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Professor David W G Brown, MBBS MSc FRCPath FFPH. An internationally renowned public health virologist, David served with distinction as director of the Health Protection Agency’s Virus Reference Department from 2004 until his retirement in 2012, and a visiting professor at LSHTM. After training […]
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Encephalitis International and PPI (Patient & Public Involvement)
5 December 2024
What is PPI? PPI stands for Patient and Public Involvement in research. It describes how patients and the public can participate in medical research. It is important that, where possible, patients and the public have the opportunity to be involved in all stages of research. PPI can include: sharing lived experience of encephalitis, as a […]
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