Dec 6, 2024

Frances E. Jensen, MD, FAES

AES 2024 Distinguished Service Award, Presented during the 2024 Hoyer Lecture at the 2024 AES Annual Meeting

Meet the 2024 AES Award Recipients
frances jensen

Dr. Jensen is the Arthur Knight Asbury, MD, Professor of Neurology and Chair of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and co-director of Penn Translational Neuroscience Center. She was formerly Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Director of Translational Neuroscience, and senior neurologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital.

After receiving her AB from Smith College and MD from Cornell Medical College, she obtained her neurology residency training at the Harvard Longwood Neurology Residency Program.

Her research focuses on mechanisms of epilepsy and the interaction of epilepsy with other disorders such as autism and dementia, to elucidate new therapies for clinical trials development. Dr. Jensen has authored more than 175 manuscripts on subjects related to her research. She has been continuously funded by NIH since 1987, and was the recipient of an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award in 2007 and a NIH-NINDS Javits Award in 2020.

Dr. Jensen was elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2015 and was the recipient of the Smith College Medal in 2020. She has trained numerous clinical and basic research fellows who now hold independent faculty positions nationally and internationally. Dr. Jensen served as President of the American Neurological Association (2021-2023) and President of the American Epilepsy Society in 2012. She has served on multiple leadership boards including the Society for Neuroscience and NIH, and is currently on the Advisory Council to NINDS. 

Dr. Jensen is a Trustee of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and is involved in community outreach for brain research and education. She is an advocate for awareness of the adolescent brain development, its unique strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as its impact on medical, social, and educational issues unique to teenagers and young adults. Dr. Jensen authored the book The Teenage Brain, released by Harper Collins in 2015-2016, which has been translated and published in more than 25 languages worldwide. 

About the AES Distinguished Service Award

Established in 1993, this award recognizes outstanding service by an AES member in the field of epilepsy, including non-educational and non-scientific, with emphasis on exemplary contributions to advancing the mission of the American Epilepsy Society and service to its members.