ATLANTA ― Rosemarie Kobau, MPH, MAPP, will be awarded the prestigious Extraordinary Contributions to the Field of Epilepsy Award at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). The Extraordinary Contributions to the Field of Epilepsy award is bestowed by the Board of Directors and recognizes those who have made extraordinary contributions across multiple fronts, including science, education, leadership, and advocacy. Unlike other AES awards, this award is presented only when the Board of Directors determines there is a candidate whose accomplishments embody the spirit of the recognition.
Rosemarie Kobau, MPH, MAPP, worked with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s Epilepsy Program for 24 of her 25 years at the CDC. She holds two master’s degrees, one from the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and one from the University of Pennsylvania.
Following her work at The Carter Center, she began her CDC career as a research fellow and within a year was hired to work with the CDC Epilepsy Program. She initiated epilepsy surveillance on national and state public health surveillance systems and led population studies of epilepsy prevalence and its corresponding burden. Rosemarie led the development of the CDC Managing Epilepsy Well Network that has contributed to closing epilepsy self-management research and program gaps, and that became a model for other CDC research networks.
Between 2012 and 2025, Rosemarie served as the epilepsy program team lead, effectively guiding program activities consistent with IOM Recommendations to the CDC and with agency priority areas. She has published more than 80 articles and government reports, including 63 focused on epilepsy burden and disparities. Rosemarie has served multiple agency emergency responses, and she has led multiple federal committees that set national objectives to improve population health, including for people with epilepsy.