NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Elinor Ben-Menachem, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.N., F.A.E.S. was presented with the 2022 Founders Award during the 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). One of the most prestigious awards given by the Society, the Founders Award, established in 1966, recognizes members who have a record of lifetime contributions and accomplishments related to epilepsy. The award is funded by the AES Lennox and Lombroso Trust.
Dr. Ben-Menachem serves as a professor at the University of Goteborg, Sahlgren Academy, and Hospital in Sweden. She completed medical school at the University of Goteborg, followed by an Internship in Internal Medicine-General Practice at Molndal Central Hospital, Molndal, Sweden, then completed her Residency in Neurology and her PhD from the University of Goteborg, Sahlgren Academy, and Hospital. Dr. Ben-Menachem obtained a Fellowship in Epilepsy at the VA/UCLA where she received her California Medical License which she maintains.
She has developed a successful clinical research program with the goal of finding therapies that will help refractory epilepsy patients who are not candidates for resective epilepsy surgery. She collaborates with basic science colleagues leading to the development of successful studies focused on her hypothesis that most antiseizure drugs and neuromodulators possess more than just one mechanism of action. Her current project is assessing the effect of cardiovascular exercise and relaxation as a comparison group on seizure frequency and quality of life in refractory focal epilepsy patients.
Dr. Ben-Menachem has long-served the American Epilepsy—on the Board of Directors, as Chair of the Council on Education and the Annual Meeting Committee, as a member of several committees including Budget & Audit, Governance, Translational Research, and as a Contributing Editor of Epilepsy Currents. She also served as Chief Editor of Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.