EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE:
Friday, Dec. 6, 2019
4 p.m. EST
BALTIMORE - Michael Privitera, M.D., was presented with the 2019 Distinguished Service Award during the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES), a medical and scientific society whose members are dedicated to advancing research and education
for preventing, treating and curing epilepsy.
Dr. Privitera is a professor of neurology and director of the epilepsy center at the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute, which he established in 1987. He has since grown the program
to 18 epileptologists at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Privitera is an expert on advanced treatments for epilepsy, with a research focus on new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) including cannabinoids (CBD), for
epilepsy, generic equivalence of AEDs and seizure prediction. He has published more than 200 scientific articles and has been principal investigator for more than 45 clinical trials of AEDs. He has also led several multicenter national and international
clinical trials, and worked on several National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored multicenter trials of AED efficacy and adverse effects.
Dr. Privitera has mentored dozens of residents, fellows, graduate students and post-doctoral students throughout
his career and has served as a reviewer for the NIH, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He has earned numerous honors and awards, and served in many leadership positions at the University of Cincinnati.
His service to AES includes as president in 2016, the board of directors, two terms as treasurer and multiple committee chair positions.
His training in neurology and epilepsy included Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Georgetown in Washington D.C., and
the University of Texas in Austin.
Established in 1993, the AES Distinguished Service award recognizes outstanding service by an AES member 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. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium.