Newswise — SAN DIEGO – A researcher from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Neurology will receive $130,000 to conduct further research on epilepsy following traumatic brain injury through the Susan S. Spencer Clinical Research Training Fellowship funded by the American Brain Foundation, the American Epilepsy Society and the Epilepsy Foundation. The fellowship was presented in San Diego during the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting, the world’s largest meeting of neurologists.
Robert Kotloski, MD, PhD, a neurophysiology fellow in epilepsy, was awarded the fellowship for work investigating the changes in brain activity during the time period between a brain injury and appearance of seizures. His ultimate goal is to better understand seizures following traumatic brain injury and work to develop new treatments. The two-year award will consist of an annual salary of $55,000, plus $10,000 per year in educational expenses. The award recognizes the importance of epilepsy clinical research with the goal of providing better treatment, prevention or cure of the disease.
Clinical research is the fundamental transition stage between discovery and treatment. Clinical research provides the scientific basis for all forms of care, addresses patient and caregiver needs and is the backbone for drug development and cost-effectiveness studies needed to improve lives. Fellowships provide recipients with up to three years of “protected time” with salary, which allows them to continue important research projects.
Epilepsy is a common neurologic disorder that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. Seizures are episodes of disturbed brain function that cause changes in attention or behavior. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, he or she is considered to have epilepsy. Epilepsy is a family of more than 40 syndromes that affects more than three million people in the United States and 50 million worldwide. The award is named in memory of Susan S. Spencer, MD, a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology who was a leading epilepsy researcher.
The American Brain Foundation, the foundation of the American Academy of Neurology, supports vital research and education to discover causes, improved treatments and cures for brain and other nervous system diseases. Learn more at http://www.curebraindisease.org. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 25,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.
or more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.
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