ORLANDO, Fla. ― Dave Clarke, MBBS, ABPN, ABCN, FAES, was presented the J. Kiffin Penry Award for Excellence in Epilepsy Care during the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). The J. Kiffin Penry Award for Excellence in Epilepsy Care honors Dr. Penry’s lifelong focus on and genuine concern for people with epilepsy. It recognizes individuals whose work has had a major impact on patient care and has improved the quality of life for persons with epilepsy. The award is funded through the AES J. Kiffin Penry Fund.
Dr. Clarke is a boarded diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with special qualifications in child neurology, epilepsy, and sleep medicine. He is also a diplomat of the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology with added competence in epilepsy monitoring.
He has an interest in and has conducted clinical care, education, advocacy, and research in the medical and surgical management of drug-resistant epilepsy. His recent collaborative projects have focused on reducing deficits and disparities in epilepsy care. Dr. Clarke believes that efforts to address ethnic, racial, and other social determinants of health must be achieved through mutual respect and inclusivity, nationally and internationally. He also believes that interdisciplinary, parental, and caregiver collaboration are the only way to reach and care for all children with epilepsy.
Dr. Clarke is a fellow of AES, an elected member of the North American Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy, and president of the Epilepsy Society of the Caribbean. He is the secretary/treasurer of the National Associations of Epilepsy Centers’ board of directors, an elected member of the Epilepsy Leadership Council Steering Committee, a member of the International Affairs Committee of the Child Neurology Society, and a recently selected member of the AES Advocacy Task Force.
Dr. Clarke received the Ambassador for Epilepsy Award from the International League Against Epilepsy/International Bureau for Epilepsy in 2021 and previously received local and national awards, including the Newcomers Award by the Austin Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).