The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded a 5-year, $431,676 Project Grant (CFDA 93.853 - Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders) to the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. The grant will support research to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which the glucocorticoid receptor, cytochrome P450, and P-glycoprotein axis regulate drug bioavailability at the blood-brain barrier in epilepsy with focal cortical dysplasia. The goal is to establish the glucocorticoid receptor as a therapeutic target to improve the efficacy of anti-seizure medications by enhancing their penetration across the epileptic blood-brain barrier. The research will utilize a multi-modal approach involving human brain tissue samples, in vitro cell models, and an animal model of epilepsy with cortical dysplasia.