Raman Sankar, MD, PhD, received the Founders Award, formerly known as William G. Lennox Award, for lifetime accomplishments in epilepsy from the American Epilepsy Society at the society's recent meeting in New Orleans. AES is a medical and scientific
society with 4,400 members.
This award was established in 1966 to recognize members of the American Epilepsy Society who have a record of lifetime contributions and accomplishments related to epilepsy. The award is funded by the Lennox and Lombroso Trust Fund, established in 1962
to advance and disseminate knowledge of epilepsy in all its aspects—biological, clinical and social—and to promote better care and treatment for persons with epilepsy. The award includes a $10,000 honorarium.
Raman Sankar, MD, PhD, is Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatric Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. He holds the Rubin Brown Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Neurology.
Dr. Sankar is a graduate of the University of Bombay, India. He obtained his PhD from the University of Washington in Medicinal Chemistry and was involved in teaching and research for several years prior to entering Tulane Medical School, where he obtained
his MD. He trained in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. He completed his training in neurology and pediatric neurology at UCLA.
His research contributions pertain to detailed studies on seizure-induced injury and plasticity in the developing brain. The other important theme has been the study of the mechanistic link between epilepsy and its comorbidities, such as depression and
ADHD, on rodent models. He leads a pediatric epilepsy group of world renown in pediatric epilepsy surgery. Dr. Sankar has authored more than 250 research articles, reviews, and book chapters. He has also made editorial contributions to several books
on epilepsy.
He is a member of the editorial board of Epilepsy & Behavior and has served on the editorial boards of Epilepsia and Epilepsy Currents. He is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and an elected member of the American Pediatric Society.
Dr. Sankar is a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Epilepsy Foundation. He has served on various committees of the AES and is presently a member of the Development Council. He has been a member of the Commission on Neurobiology of the
International League Against Epilepsy and presently serves on the Commission's Task Force for the Workshop on the Neurobiology of Epilepsy and the Task Force on Advocacy.