LASSE XIX, Advanced
Understanding and challenging refractoriness
Guadalajara, Mexico
February 23-28, 2026
High-quality training on cutting-edge aspects of pharmacotherapy and drug resistance in epilepsy, with a focus on the multifactorial nature of pharmacoresistant epilepsy, approached through a translational and interdisciplinary perspective.
Specifically aimed at young professionals from both clinical and basic backgrounds, with a relatively advanced level of training.
A multimodal learning experience, integrating theory, practice, and collaboration during a one-week series of lectures, workshops, and group activities.
The regional perspective will be highlighted in a dedicated module on pharmacoeconomics and public health, addressing specific challenges, such as access to medication and cost-effectiveness.
Program
February 23, 2026
09:00 - What is refractory epilepsy? Historical overview
Patricia Braga
Lecture
09:20 - Current definition. Criticisms of the current concept of pharmaco resistance and new proposals
Jacqueline French
Lecture
10:00 - Questions and remarks
Lecture
10:15 - Break
Break
10:45 - What is pseudo-pharmaco resistance? Common diagnostic and therapeutic mistakes
Guilca Contreras
Lecture
11:15 - Evaluation of pseudo-pharmacoresistance: video-EEG, diagnostic re-evaluation
María del Carmen García
Lecture
11:45 - Discussion of cases
Lecture
12:30 - Lunch
Break
14:00 - Clinical factors that predict pharmacoresistance
Jorge Burneo
Lecture
14:40 - Models to Predict Drug Response – Use of biomarkers, machine learning, and personalized medicine
Samuel Wiebe
Lecture
15:20 - Hands-on Case Discussions: Predicting drug response in clinical scenarios
Katia Lin Lin
Workshop
16:30 - Meeting with tutors
Group Work
19:00 - Dinner
Break
February 24, 2026
09:00 - Ion Channels in Epilepsy
Giuseppe Bertini
Lecture
09:45 - GABA and Glutamate Receptors
Mónica Elisa Ureña
Lecture
10:30 - Break
Break
11:00 - Synaptic vesicle proteins and other Mechanisms of Action
Helen Scharfman
Lecture
11:30 - New Molecules and Future Therapies – Advances in rational drug design
Angel Aledo-Serrano
Lecture
12:30 - Lunch
Break
14:00 - Phases and costs of drug development
Jacqueline French
Lecture
15:00 - What Other Diseases Can Teach Us About Reversing Pharmacoresistance
Jose Eduardo Peixoto-Santos
Lecture
15:00 - Break
Break
16:00 - Roundtable: Challenges in Translating Mechanisms to Clinical Outcomes
Lecture
17:30 - Meeting with tutors
Group Work
19:00 - Dinner
Break
21:00 - Ethics in research
Esper Cavalheiro
Lecture
February 25, 2026
09:00 - Pharmacokinetic and Target-Related Mechanisms
Luisa Rocha
Lecture
09:30 - Drug Transporters and Efflux Systems
Jerónimo Auzmendi
Lecture
10:00 - Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine
Iscia Lopes-Cendes
Lecture
10:30 - Break
Break
11:00 - Etiology associated factors
Fernando Cendes
Lecture
11:30 - Genetic basis
Angel Aledo-Serrano
Lecture
12:00 - Q&A Session
Lecture
12:30 - Lunch
Break
14:00 - Microglia and Astrocyte Roles in Drug Resistant Epilepsy
Sandra Orozco
Lecture
14:30 - Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation
Leonor López-Meraz
Lecture
15:00 - Intrinsic epileptogenicity and neural networks
Lecture
15:30 - Break
Break
16:00 - Experimental Models of Pharmacoresistance
Esper Cavalheiro
Workshop
17:30 - Meeting with tutors
Group Work
19:00 - Dinner
Break
February 26, 2026
09:00 - Electrographic biomarkers of the DRE
Laura Medina-Ceja
Lecture
09:30 - Predicting the outcome after epilepsy surgery
Mario Alonso Vanegas
Lecture
10:00 - Q&A Session
Lecture
10:15 - Break
Break
10:30 - Corticosteroids and immunotherapy in epilepsy: past or future?
Loreto Ríos
Lecture
11:00 - Gene therapy in epilepsy: the future is here
Iscia Lopes-Cendes
Lecture
11:30 - Managing the diagnosis of DRE in the clinic: critical steps
Francisco Taveras
Lecture
12:00 - Q&A Session
Lecture
12:30 - Lunch
Break
13:30 - Parallel hands-on workshops: Simulation of drug response
Luisa Rocha
Workshop
13:30 - Parallel hands-on workshops: EEG patterns in DRE and pseudo-pharmacoresistance
María del Carmen García
Workshop
13:30 - Parallel hands-on workshops: Imaging diagnostic methods
Fernando Cendes
Workshop
13:30 - Parallel hands-on workshops: Neuropathology
Sandra Orozco
Workshop
February 27, 2026
09:00 - Morbi-mortality of pharmaco-resistant epilepsy
Jorge Burneo
Lecture
09:30 - Psychiatric and cognitive comorbidity
Alicia Bogacz
Lecture
10:00 - Impact on personal development and quality of life
Jaime Carrizosa
Lecture
10:30 - Break
Break
10:45 - Costs of epilepsy and pharmaco-resistant epilepsy
Samuel Wiebe
Lecture
11:30 - Indirect costs of epilepsy from the patients’ perspective
Marta Bertone
Lecture
12:00 - Q&A Session
Lecture
12:30 - Lunch
Break
14:00 - Cost-effectiveness of antiseizure medications: a patient-centered perspective
Elvira Vacas
Lecture
14:30 - Cost-effectiveness of antiseizure medications: perspective of health and funding agencies
Lecture
15:00 - Access to antiseizure medications and therapeutic gap in Latin America
Jorge Burneo
Lecture
15:30 - Break
Break
16:00 - Solution or delusion: originals vs. generics in epilepsy
Katia Lin Lin
Lecture
16:30 - The role of funding and investment on pharmaceutical innovation
Jacqueline French
Lecture
17:00 - Summary of contributions from the industry working group
Lecture
18:00 - Discussion and proposals
Lecture
18:30 - Meeting with tutors
Group Work
19:00 - Dinner
Break
February 28, 2026
09:00 - Group Presentation
Group Work
12:00 - Lunch
Break
13:30 - Group Presentation
Group Work
15:30 - Break
Break
16:00 - Bridging basic science, drug mechanisms, and resistance into clinical practice
Iris Martínez
Lecture
16:30 - How new knowledge may reshape definitions of refractoriness
Samuel Wiebe
Lecture
17:00 - Roundtable: Where do we go from here?
Patricia Braga
Lecture
19:00 - Dinner
Break
Faculty
Angel Aledo-Serrano
Spain
Mario Alonso Vanegas
Mexico
Jerónimo Auzmendi
Argentina
Giuseppe Bertini
Italy
Marta Bertone
Argentina
Alicia Bogacz
Uruguay
Instituto de Neurología UDELAR
Patricia Braga
Uruguay
Instituto de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Jorge Burneo
Canada
Jaime Carrizosa
Colombia
Esper Cavalheiro
Brazil
Fernando Cendes
Brazil
Guilca Contreras
Venezuela
Jacqueline French
United States
María del Carmen García
Argentina
Hospital Italiano Buenos Aires
Laura Hernández
Mexico
Katia Lin Lin
Brazil
Iscia Lopes-Cendes
Brazil
Leonor López-Meraz
Mexico
Iris Martínez
Mexico
Laura Medina-Ceja
Mexico
Sandra Orozco
Mexico
Jose Eduardo Peixoto-Santos
Brazil
Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo
Luisa Rocha
Mexico
Loreto Ríos
Chile
Helen Scharfman
United States
Francisco Taveras
Dominican Republic
Mónica Elisa Ureña
Mexico
Elvira Vacas
Spain
Samuel Wiebe
Canada
The school venue
University of Guadalajara's Villa Primavera is a countryside hotel nestled within the Bosque de la Primavera ("Spring Forest"), a protected natural reserve located less than an hour from downtown Guadalajara.
Guadalajara, known as "the city of roses", is Mexico's third-largest city, celebrated as the birthplace of mariachi and tequila. It's here that a dedicated local organizing team will be ready to welcome us.
Thanks to its tranquil, natural surroundings and its strong ties to the University's academic community, Hotel Villa Primavera–UdG offers the perfect setting to host this new LASSE experience.
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