CHICAGO ― Frances E. Jensen, MD, will be presented with the 2024 Distinguished Service Award during the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). Established in 1993, the AES Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding service by an individual in the field of epilepsy, including non-educational and non-scientific, with an emphasis on exemplary contributions to advancing AES' mission and service to its members.
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, Philadelphia. She was formerly professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School and director of Translational Neuroscience and senior neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts and medical degree from Cornell University Medical College, New York, she completed her neurology residency training at the Harvard Longwood Neurology Residency Program, Boston.
Her research focuses on the mechanisms of epilepsy and its interaction with other disorders, such as autism and dementia, to uncover and elucidate new therapies for clinical trial development. She has authored over 175 manuscripts on subjects related to her research. Dr. Jensen has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1987 and was the recipient of an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award in 2007 and an NIH-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Javits Award in 2020. She was elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2015 and was the recipient of the Smith College Medal in 2020. Dr. Jensen 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 AES in 2012. She has served on multiple leadership boards, including the Society for Neuroscience, and NIH and is 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.
In addition, Dr. Jensen is an advocate for awareness of the adolescent brain development, its unique strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as their impact on medical, social and educational issues unique to teenagers and young adults. She is the author of the book “The Teenage Brain,” published by Harper Collins in 2015/16 and translated into over 25 languages worldwide.