Past Early Career Grantees

Sergievksy Award for Epilepsy Health Equity and Diversity

AES/EF Junior Investigator Award, Funded in full by the Epilepsy Foundation

Junior Investigator Awards

Research and Training Fellowship for Clinicians

PERF/SRF/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 49% by Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation and 20% by SYNGAP Research Fund

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

PAME Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, funded at 100% by Partners Against Mortality in Epilepsy

FamilieSCN2A Foundation /AES Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, funded at 10% by FamilieSCN2A Foundation

Predoctoral Fellowships

ESC Mini-Grants

Susan S. Spencer, MD, Clinical Research Training Fellowship in Epilepsy

Sergievksy Award for Epilepsy Health Equity and Diversity

Senyene Hunter, MD, PhD
Long-Read Sequencing in a Diverse Cohort with Epileptic Encephalopathy
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Mentors: Erin Heinzen, PharmD, PhD; Jonathan Berg, MD, PhD; Suzette LaRoche, MD, FACNS, FAAN and Laura Villa Torres, PhD, MSPH

Alain Zingraff Lekoubou Looti, MD
Brain health and post-stroke seizures prediction in a diverse US population
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Mentor: Vernon Chinchili, PhD

Junior Investigator Awards

$50,000 for newly independent investigators to support the direct costs of research, along with one year of AES membership.

Jeffrey Calhoun, PhD
Resolving missense variants of uncertain significance in TSC2
Northwestern University, Chicago Campus

Ana Arenivas, PhD, MPH
Neuropsychological Functioning in Pediatric Epilepsy Associated with MCDs
Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Phillip Iffland, PhD
Functional validation of Nprl2 variants
University of Maryland, Baltimore

AES/EF Junior Investigator Awards, funded in full by the Epilepsy Foundation

Julie Janecek, PhD
Long-term cognitive outcome after temporal lobectomy: A longitudinal study
The Medical College of Wisconsin

Research and Training Fellowship for Clinicians

Mentored support for clinical fellows or junior clinical faculty with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Julien Hebert, MDCM, MSc, FRCPC
Acute Symptomatic Seizures Secondary to Autoimmune Encephalitis
Columbia University
Mentors: Kiran Thakar, MD and Hyumni Choi, MD

Jacob Pellinen, MD
Developing a Seizure Screening Tool for Non-Specialists
University of Colorado, Denver
Mentor: Kelly Knupp, MD

Samantha Allen, MD
Understanding Medically Refractory Epilepsy in Neurocysticercosis
University of California, San Francisco
Mentors: Robert Knowlton, MD, MSPH; Hector Garcia, MD, PhD and Seth O'Neal, MD, MPH

Thomas Foutz, MD, PhD
Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Neurostimulation in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Washington University School of Medicine
Mentor: Michael Wong, MD, PhD

PERF/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 50% by PERF

Hayley Loblein, PhD
Social Determinants of Health in Pediatric Epilepsy
Children's National Medical Center
Mentor: Madison Berl, PhD

PCDH19 Alliance/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 40% by PCDH19 Alliance

Julie Ziobro, MD, PhD
Mechanisms of PCDH19 clustering epilepsy
University of Michigan
Mentor: Jack Parent, MD

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Mentored research fellowships with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Nishant Sinha, PhD
Guiding epilepsy surgery by combining non-invasive brain imaging and iEEG
University of Pennsylvania
Mentors: Kathryn Davis, MD, MS and Brian Litt, MD

Fatemeh Bahari, PhD
Dissecting role of pannexin1 channels in a model of acute neonatal seizures
Massachusetts General Hospital
Mentor: Kevin Staley, MD

Joo Hyun Kim, PhD
Disease mechanism and therapy of STXBP1-encephalopathy
Baylor College of Medicine
Mentor: Mingshan Xue, PhD

Kathryn Brewer, PhD
Epilepsy in mTORopathies: the role of astrocytes
University of California, Berkeley
Mentor: Helen Bateup, PhD

Danielle Tapp, PhD
Regulation of interneuron function by mTOR signaling
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Mentor: Steve Danzer, PhD

Aniv Brukner, PhD
Rescue of STXBP1 encephalopathies with 4-phenylbutyrate in a mouse model
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Mentor: Jacqueline Burre, PhD

Michelle Guignet, PhD
Novel Therapeutic Approaches for the Prevention of Drug Resistant Epilepsy
University of Washington
Mentor: H. Steve White, PhD

Solveig Vieluf, PhD
Developing a seizure likelihood biomarker from autonomic longitudinal data
Boston Children's Hospital
Mentors: Tobias Loddenkemper, MD; Bo Zhang, PhD and William Bosl, PhD

AES Predoctoral Fellowships

Mentored research fellowships with up to $30,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Samantha Reed, BS
The Effect of Status Epilepticus on Extracellular Vesicles
Emory University
Mentor: Andrew Escayg, PhD

Daniel Chu, BS
Characterizing Connectome MRI Abnormalities in TLE Patients
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Mentor: Vivek Prabhakaran, MD, PhD

Harvey Huang, BS
Stimulation-induced responses in intracranial EEG reflect excitability
Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Mentors: Dora Hermes, PhD and Greg Worrell, MD, PhD

Andrew Huang, BS
Cellular Mediators of Dentate Pattern Separation in Epilepsy
University of California, Riverside
Mentor: Viji Santhakumar, PhD

Yu (Susie) Feng, BS
Progression of Hippocampal Desynchronization in Chronically Epileptic Mice
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mentor: Tristan Shuman, PhD

Kelsey Paulhus, MS
Cortico-limbic contribution to cardiorespiratory dysfunction and SUDEP risk
Southern Methodist University
Mentor: Edward Glassock, PhD

AES/Wishes for Elliott Predoctoral Research Fellowship, co-funded at 15% by WFE

Christy LaFlamme, BS
investigating aberrant methylation in DEE
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Mentor: Heather Mefford, MD, PhD

Epilepsy Study Consortium Mini-Grants, funded by ESC and administered by AES

Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD
Response-adaptive time-to-event designs in clinical trials for epilepsy
University of Michigan
Mentor: William Stacey, MD, PhD

Laura Kirkpatick, MD
Lamotrigine and estrogen-containing contraception in people with epilepsy
University of Pittsburgh
Mentor: Page Pennell, MD

Susan S. Spencer Clinical Research Training Fellowship

Administered by AAN; jointly funded by the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation, and American Brain Foundation

Regan Lemley, MD
The Role of the Microbiome in Drug Resistant Epilepsy
Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Mentor: Howard Weiner, MD

Junior Investigator Awards

$50,000 for newly independent investigators to support the direct costs of research, along with one year of AES membership.

Isamu Aiba, PhD
Spreading depolarizations contribute to epilepsy comorbidities
Baylor College of Medicine

Kimberly Aldinger, PhD
Functional characterization of MAST4 variants
Seattle Children's Hospital

Allyson Alexander, MD, PhD
MTOR pathway dysfunction and hub cells in focal cortical dysplasia
University of Colorado, Denver

Roni Dhaher, PhD
Modulating the relief from anhedonia and seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy
Yale University

Laura Ewell, PhD
Lateralization in mouse temporal lobe epilepsy
University of California, Irvine

AES/EF Junior Investigator Awards, funded in full by the Epilepsy Foundation

Churl-Su Kwon, MD, MPH
Disparities in epilepsy surgery quality of care and access to care
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians

Mentored support for clinical fellows or junior clinical faculty with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Brad Kamitaki, MD
Addressing barriers to comprehensive epilepsy care: A mixed-methods study
Rutgers University
Mentors: Joel Cantor, SCD; Haiqun Lin, MD, PhD; and Hyunmi Choi, MD

Joshua LaRocque, MD, PhD
Exploring the neural basis of naming impairment in patients with epilepsy
University of Wisconsin-Madison, and New York University
Mentors: Anli Liu, MD; Adeen Flinker, PhD; Aaron Struck, MD; and Orrin Devinsky, MD

Sheela Toprani, MD, PhD
Network-targeted therapy for epilepsy and neuropsychological comorbidities
University of California, Davis
Mentors: Kimford Meador, MD; Amy Brooks-Kayal, MD; and Karen Anne Moxon, PhD

PERF/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 50% by PERF

Amanda Sandoval Karamian, MD
White matter microstructural abnormalities in neonatal genetic epilepsy
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Mentors: Nicholas Abend, MD and Hao Huang, PhD

PCDH19 Alliance/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 40% by PCDH19 Alliance

Julie Ziobro, MD, PhD
Mechanisms of PCDH19 clustering epilepsy
University of Michigan
Mentor: Jack Parent, MD

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Mentored research fellowships with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Michelle Kloc, PhD
Cholinergic modulation of CA1 signaling in febrile status epilepticus
University of Vermont
Mentor: Gregory Holmes, MD

Frederic Schaper, MD, PhD
Network mapping of focal epilepsy using lesions and deep brain stimulation
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Mentors: Michael Fox, MD, PhD and Ellen Bubrick, MD

Alena Stasenko, PhD
Improving pre-surgical language assessment in bilinguals with epilepsy
University of California, San Diego
Mentor: Carrie McDonald, PhD

Yusuke Takezawa, MD, PhD
Calcium overload and cell swelling during hypoxia in the neonatal brain
University of Iowa
Mentor: Joseph Glykys, MD, PhD

William Tobin, PhD
Determinants of cortical interneuron dysfunction in KCNT1-related epilepsy
University of Vermont
Mentor: Matthew Weston, PhD

AES Predoctoral Fellowships

Mentored research fellowships with up to $30,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Michael Granovetter, MS, AB
Neuroplasticity of the visual system following temporal cortical resection
Carnegie Mellon University
Mentors: Marlene Behrmann, PhD and Christina Patterson, MD

Darian Hadjiabadi, MS
Cellular pathways underlying pathological high-frequency oscillations
Stanford University
Mentor: Ivan Soltesz, PhD

Segewkal Hawaze-Heruye, MS, BPharm
Targeting ROS-dependent synaptic dysfunction and cognitive deficits in TLE
Creighton University
Mentors: Timothy Simeone, PhD and Kristina Simeone, PhD

Rachael Ryner, BS
Aberrant wnt signaling disrupts inhibitory networks in mouse model of IS
Tufts University
Mentor: Chris Dulla, PhD

James Sun, BA
Intraoperative recording in epilepsy with a high-density ECoG array
New York University School of Medicine
Mentors: Bijan Pesaran, PhD and Daniel Friedman, MD

Wanqi Wang, MA
Axon function in the pathogenesis of ARHGEF9 epileptic encephalopathy
Columbia University
Mentor: Wayne Frankel, PhD

AES/Wishes for Elliott Predoctoral Research Fellowship, co-funded at 15% by WFE

Timothy Abreo, BS
Characterization of gene modifiers in a mouse model of epilepsy
Baylor College of Medicine
Mentor: Edward Cooper, MD, PhD

Epilepsy Study Consortium Mini-Grants, funded by ESC and administered by AES

Alexander Arnold, MD
Using online seizure diaries to compare antiepileptic drug efficacy
University of Washington
Mentor: Nick Poolos, MD, PhD

Stephanie Reeder, MD
Use of Lacosamide (LCS) in elderly patients with epilepsy
University of Minnesota
Mentors: Sima Patel, MD; Angela Birnbaum, PhD; and Ilo Leppik, MD

Susan S. Spencer Clinical Research Training Fellowship

Administered by AAN; jointly funded by the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation, and American Brain Foundation

Samuel Terman, MD
Seizure risk prediction after antiseizure medication discontinuation in patients with well-controlled epilepsy: Randomized trial reanalysis and pooling
University of Michigan
Mentors: James Burke, MD, MS and Jack Parent, MD

Junior Investigator Awards

$50,000 for newly independent investigators to support the direct costs of research, along with one year of AES membership.

Ukpong Eyo, PhD
Targeting microglial P2Y12R to ameliorate febrile status epilepticus
University of Virginia

Emily Johnson, MD
Late-onset epilepsy, cognition, and biomarkers
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Vaishnav Krishnan, MD, PhD
Neurodevelopmental Consequences of Fetal Anticonvulsant Exposure
Baylor College of Medicine

Elliot Smith, PhD
Interictally derived probabilistic maps of seizure onset location
University of Utah

Fraser Sparks, PhD
Adult-born granule cell microcircuit reorganization in epilepsy
Columbia University Medical Center

AES/EF Junior Investigator Awards, funded in full by the Epilepsy Foundation

Leah Blank, MD
Determinants of guideline adherent therapy in newly diagnosed epilepsy
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

David Klorig, PhD
Evaluating Gene Therapy Strategies to Treat Epilepsy Using a Novel Method
Wake Forest University

Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians

Mentored support for clinical fellows or junior clinical faculty with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Claire Jacobs, MD, PhD
Functional evaluation of STXBP1 variants in STXBP1-encephalopathy
Massachusetts General Hospital
Mentor: Stephen Haggarty, PhD

Jennifer Shum, MD
Functional Mapping of Language with High Gamma Electrocorticography
New York University School of Medicine
Mentor: Orrin Devinsky, MD

Steven Tobochnik, MD
Predicting epileptogenic zones by stimulation-induced seizure recruitment
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Mentor: Page Pennell, MD

PERF/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 50% by PERF

Tayyba Anwar, MD
Multifactorial modeling of post-neonatal epilepsy following HIE
Children’s National Medical Center and Children’s Research Institute
Mentor: Tammy Tsuchida, MD, PhD

CURE/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 50% by CURE

James Gugger, MD, PharmD
Free-water imaging in post-traumatic epilepsy
University of Pennsylvania
Mentor: Ramon Diaz-Arrastia MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Mentored research fellowships with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Aswathy AmmothumKandy, PhD
Adult new born glia in human epilepsy: friend or foe?
University of Southern California
Mentor: Michael Bonaguidi, PhD

Jessica Chancey, PhD
Mechanisms of enhanced excitabilty in a mouse model of GEFS/Dravet syndrome
University of Texas at Austin
Mentor: MacKenzie Howard, PhD
Supported by the Lennox and Lombroso Trust for Research and Training

Ping Dong, PhD
Targeting BK calcium-activated potassium channels in absence epilepsy
Duke University
Mentor: Huanghe Yang, PhD
Supported by the Lennox and Lombroso Trust for Research and Training

Hisako Fujiwara, PhD
Predicting epilepsy surgery outcome with MEG functional connectivity
Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Mentor: Jeffrey Tenney, MD, PhD

Kaoutsar Nasrallah, PhD
Role of a Hippocampal Associative Neuronal Circuit in Early Epilepsy
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Mentor: Pablo Castillo, MD, PhD

Chelsea Pernici, PhD
Longitudinal, in vivo Ca2+ imaging during spontaneous seizure activity
University of Utah
Mentor: Karen Wilcox, PhD
Supported by the Lennox and Lombroso Trust for Research and Training

AES Predoctoral Fellowships

Mentored research fellowships with up to $30,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Jennifer Cheng, BA
Pathogenic Mechanisms Associated with a CUX2 Missense Variant in Epilepsy
Northwestern University
Mentor: Gemma Carvill, PhD

Madelyn Haller, BA
Investigating Gliopathic Epilepsy in a Drosophila Model of PIGA Deficiency
University of Utah
Mentor: Clement Chow, PhD

Susan Nguyen, MSOT, BS
TLR4 Modulation of Dentate Inhibition and its Effect on Pattern Separation
University of California, Riverside
Mentor: Vijayalakshmi Santhakumar, PhD

AES/Wishes for Elliott Predoctoral Research Fellowship, $10,000 funded at 50% by WFE

Letonia Copeland-Hardin, BS
Characterization of gene modifiers in a mouse model of epilepsy
Northwestern University
Mentor: Jennifer Kearney, PhD

Epilepsy Study Consortium Mini-Grants, funded by ESC and administered by AES

Taneeta Ganguly, MD
Perampanel in Glioma Associated Seizures - Efficacy and Safety
University of Pennsylvania
Mentor: Michael Gelfand, MD, PhD

Epilepsy Foundation Clinical Research Apprenticeship Award, funded by the Epilepsy Foundation and administered by AES

Susanna O’Kula, MD
Healthcare Utilization and Workplace Productivity in Hispanic PWE
New York University School of Medicine
Mentors: Daniel Friedman, MD, and Tanya Spruill, PhD

Susan S. Spencer Clinical Research Training Fellowship, 2019-2020

Administered by AAN; jointly funded by the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation, and American Brain Foundation

Colin Ellis, MD
Polygenic Risk Transmission in Familial Epilepsy
University of Pennsylvania
Mentors: Samuel Berkovic, AC FAA FRACP FRS and Brian Litt, MD

Junior Investigator Awards

$50,000 for newly independent investigators to support the direct costs of research, along with one year of AES membership.

Melissa Barker-Haliski, PhD
Role of Alzheimer's disease-associated risk genes on seizure susceptibility
University of Washington

Rani Sarkis, MD, MSc
The Cognitive and Imaging Characteristics of Late-onset Idiopathic Epilepsy
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Aimee Smith, PhD
“Costs” of Transition for YWE from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare Settings
East Carolina University

Olga Taraschenko, MD, PhD
Pathogenesis of seizures in anti-NMDAR encephalitis: role of inflammation
University of Nebraska Medical Center

AES/EF Junior Investigator Award, funded in full by the Epilepsy Foundation

Alicia Guemez Gamboa, PhD
Uncovering altered connectivity in epilepsy due to somatic mutations
Northwestern University – Chicago Campus

William Nobis, MD, PhD
The role of the extended amygdala in respiratory control and SUDEP
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians

Mentored support for clinical fellows or junior clinical faculty with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Nicholas Gregg, MD
Invasive and Non-Invasive Measures of Multiday Rhythms of Epilepsy
Mayo Clinic
Mentor: Gregory Worrell, MD, PhD

Claude Steriade, MD
Antineuronal antibodies in epilepsy
New York University School of Medicine
Mentor: Jacqueline French, MD

Anusha Yeshokumar, MD
Long-Term Outcomes and Associated Factors in Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mentors: Nathalie Jette, MD, MSc, and James Sumowski, PhD

WFE/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 15% by Wishes for Elliott

Ranmal Samarasinghe, MD, PhD
Leveraging Human Brain Organoids for Therapeutics in Epilepsy
University of California, Los Angeles
Mentor: Bennett Novitch, PhD

AES/EF Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded in full by the Epilepsy Foundation

Behnaz Esmaeili, MD
Intracranial EEG suppression and heart rate variability in epilepsy
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Mentor: Barbara Dworetzky, MD

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Mentored research fellowships with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Justin Botterill, PhD
Mossy cells as a therapeutic target in epilepsy
Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. at Nathan Kline Institute
Mentor: Helen Scharfman, PhD

Jose Carlos Gonzalez, PhD
Circadian Control of Seizure Activity by Dentate Gyrus Excitability
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Mentor: Linda Overstreet-Wadiche, PhD

Andrea Hartzell, PhD
MicroRNAs as gatekeepers of pathological circuit dynamics
The Scripps Research Institute
Mentors: Giordano Lippi, PhD, and John Huguenard, PhD

Vanesa Nieto Estevez, PhD
Precision models of ARX-associated genetic epilepsies
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Mentor: Jenny Hsieh, PhD
Supported by the Lennox and Lombroso Trust for Research and Training

Martha Streng, PhD
Mechanisms of cerebellar inhibition of hippocampal seizures
Regents of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Mentor: Esther Krook-Magnuson, PhD
Supported by the Lennox and Lombroso Trust for Research and Training

AES/PERF Pediatric Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, jointly funded by AES and the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation

Heather Born, PhD
Impact of early life febrile seizures in genetic model of Angelman syndrome
Baylor College of Medicine
Mentor: Anne Anderson, MD

AES/LGSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, supported by the AES Lennox and Lombroso Fund and funded at 10% by the Lennox Gastaut Syndrome Foundation

Zin-Juan Klaft, MD, Doctorate
GluN2D-dependent maturation of cortical interneurons and epilepsy
Tufts University
Mentor: Chris Dulla, PhD
Funded at 10% by the Lennox Gastaut Syndrome Foundation and at 50% by the Lennox and Lombroso Trust for Research and Training

Predoctoral Fellowships

Mentored research fellowships with up to $30,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.

Emily Acton, BS
Anticoagulating Adults with Epilepsy: Risks of AED/DOAC Interactions
University of Pennsylvania
Mentors: Allison Willis, MD, MS, and Michael Gelfand, MD, PhD

Christin Godale, BS
The Role of Raptor in Temporal Lobe Epileptogenesis
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Mentor: Steve Danzer, PhD

Alexandra Petrucci, BS
Post-ictal generalized EEG suppression network and receptor mechanisms
University of Iowa
Mentor: Gordon Buchanan, MD, PhD
Funded by an education grant from LivaNova, PLC

Lindsey Shapiro, BS
Investigating the Role of the Cannabinoid 2 Receptor in Epilepsy
Emory University
Mentor: Andrew Escayg, PhD
Funded by an education grant from LivaNova, PLC

Epilepsy Study Consortium Mini-Grants, funded by ESC and administered by AES

Chris McGraw, MD, PhD
Zebrafish models of refractor epilepsy for anti-epileptic drug discovery
Children’s Hospital Boston

Mauricio Villamar, MD
Response to Antiseizure Medications in Multiple Sclerosis With Epilepsy
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Susan S. Spencer Clinical Research Training Fellowship, 2019-2020

Administered by AAN; jointly funded by the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation, and American Brain Foundation

Lisseth Burbano, MD
Development of a precision therapy in KCNT1 epileptic encephalopathy
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience

AES Junior Investigator Awards

MacKenzie Howard, PhD
Mechanisms of altered dendritic excitability and plasticity in Dravet syndrome
The University of Texas, Austin

Tristan Shuman, PhD
Mechanisms of epilepsy rescue with transplantation of interneuron precursor
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Shennan Weiss, MD, PhD
Utilizing High-Frequency Oscillation Properties to Identify Epileptogenic Brain
Thomas Jefferson University

AES/EF Junior Investigator Award (fully funded by the Epilepsy Foundation and administered by AES)
David Auerbach, PhD
Mechanisms for Seizures in Long QT Syndrome Type 2
University of Rochester

AES/WFE Junior Investigator Award (This award was partially funded by Wishes for Elliott and administered by AES)
Jacy Wagnon, PhD
Role of microRNA-mediated regulation of gene expression in epilepsy
University of Michigan

AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians

Anteneh Feyissa, MD
Evaluating Glutamatergic Alterations using HFOs in Glioma-Related Seizures
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
Mentors: Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa and R. Gregory Worrell

Angelica Lee, DO
Use of non-linear information transfer on stereo-EEG
University of Pennsylvania
Mentor: Dr. Brian Litt

AES/EF Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians (This award was fully funded by the Epilepsy Foundation and administered by AES)
Garnett Smith, MD
Using Biomarkers to Construct Spatial Models of the Epileptic Network
University of Michigan,
Mentor: Dr. William Stacey

AES Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Subhrajit Bhattacharya, PhD
Role of GRIN2A mutations in epileptic encephalopathy
Emory University
Mentors: Dr. Stephen Traynelis and Dr. Raymond Dingledine

Fikri Birey, PhD
In vitro assembly of forebrain spheroids to study excitation/inhibition
Stanford University
Mentor: Dr. Sergiu Pasca

Rabab Charafeddine, PhD
Doublecortin and Microtubule + Tip Complexes in Human Neuromorphogenesis
University of California, San Francisco
Mentor: Dr. Torsten Wittmann

AES Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (Supported by the Lennox and Lombroso Fund for Research and Training)
Xiao-Song He, PhD
Track Down Surgical Prognosis with Network Neuroscience: A Multimodal Study
Thomas Jefferson University
Mentors: Joseph Tracy and Dr. Danielle Bassett

Lalitha Kurada, PhD
Low Frequency Stimulation of the Anterior Piriform Cortex in Epilepsy
The George Washington University
Mentor: Dr. Mohamad Koubeissi

Parul Varma, PhD
Chronic ablation of aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis to prevent epilepsy
University of Texas at San Antonio
Mentor: Dr. Jenny Hsieh
(This award is partially funded by the AES Lennox and Lombroso Trust for Research and Training)

AES Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
Bryan Higashikubo, PhD
Gamma rhythms as a predictor and treatment target in Dravet Syndrome
The J. David Gladstone Institutes
Mentors: Dr. Jeanne Paz and Dr. Daniel Lowenstein

Lena Nguyen, PhD
mTORC1-dependent translational control in developmental epilepsy
Yale University
Mentor: Dr. Angelique Bordey

Predoctoral Fellowships

Kristin Gunnarsdottir, MSE
A Novel Tool for Localizing the Epileptogenic Zone
Johns Hopkins University
Mentors: Dr. Sridevi Sarma and Dr. Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez

Sung-Soo Jang, MS
STEP as a Novel Regulator of Neuronal Excitability in Seizures
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mentor: Dr. Hee Jung Chung

Seok Kyu Kang, MS
Characterization of KCNB1 variants associated with infantile epilepsy
Northwestern University
Mentored: Dr. Jennifer Kearney
Funded by an educational grant from LivaNova, PLC.

Allison Kirchner
DUSP4: endogenous MAPK inhibitor and potential target for epilepsy therapy.
University of Illinois at Chicago
Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Loeb
Funded by an educational grant from LivaNova, PLC.

Omar Ahmed, PhD
Autonomous temporal lobe epilepsy therapy using bioluminescent optogenetics
University of Michigan
Funded by an educational grant from LivaNova, PLC

Jayeeta Basu, PhD
Establishing the dynamics and role of neurons born in adulthood in epilepsy
NYU School of Medicine

Anli Liu, MD
Boosting sleep-dependent memory consolidation in epilepsy patients
NYU School of Medicine

AES/EF Junior Investigator Award (supported by the Epilepsy Foundation)
Gemma Carvill, PhD
Expanding epilepsy genetics beyond the exome
Northwestern University

AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians

Leah Blank, MD
Risk factors for readmission after seizure in a nationally representative sample
University of Pennsylvania

Joanna Gan, MD
Developing a somatic awareness scale for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
University of California, San Francisco

AES/TS Research and Training Alliance Fellowship for Clinicians (Supported by both the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance and AES)
Taha Gholipour, MD
Functional connectivity MRI for predicting outcomes in epilepsy surgery
The Brigham and Women's Hospital

AES/EF Research and Training Fellowship for Clinicians (supported by the Epilepsy Foundation)
Luca Bartolini, MD
Research study on viral and inflammatory causes of epilepsy
NINDS

Adam Numis, MD
An inflammatory molecular profile in treatment response of infantile spasms
University of California, San Francisco

AES Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Wu Chen, PhD
Genetic rescue of a mouse model of epileptic encephalopathy in adulthood
Baylor College of Medicine

Barna Dudok, PhD
Cannabinoid regulation of hippocampal inhibition in epilepsy
Stanford University

Katarzyna Glanowska, PhD
Synaptic innervation of adult-generated dentate granule cells in TLE
University of Michigan

Durgesh Tiwari, PhD, MPharm
Regulation of neuroprotective factors by miR-324-5p in epilepsy
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Jennifer Wong, PhD
Evaluating Huperzine A as a treatment for SCN1A-derived epilepsy
Emory University

AES Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (Supported by the Lennox and Lombroso Fund for Research and Training)
Alison Muir, PhD
Novel approaches to genetic discovery in epilepsy
University of Washington

Maria Perez-Ramirez, PhD
Structural and functional alterations induced by focal status epilepticus
Stanford University

AES/Wishes for Elliott Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Supported by both Wishes for Elliott and AES)
Chad Frasier, PhD
Novel mechanisms of SUDEP in SCN8A-EIEE13 patients, Postdoctoral Fellowship
University of Michigan

AES Predoctoral Research Fellowships

Huijie Feng
Mechanisms of GNAO1 Encephalopathy
Michigan State University

Surobhi Ganguly
Investigating functional consequences of SCN2A mutations in epilepsy
Northwestern University

Fu-Shan Kuo
Role of respiratory control in Dravet syndrome
University of Connecticut

Yvonne Moore
Increasing KCC2 function as a strategy for the treatment of seizures
Tufts University

Irene Vuu
Allopregnanolone as initial status epilepticus therapy: canine epilepsy studies
University of Minnesota

AES/Wishes For ElliottPredoctoral Fellowship (Supported by both Wishes for Elliott and AES)
Mariya Chavarha
Voltage imaging for rapid characterization of SCN8A mutant neuronal phenotypes
Stanford University

Epilepsy Study Consortium MiniGrant

Alendia Hartshorn, MD
Effect of antiepileptic drugs on balance and reaction time  
Dartmouth College

Epilepsy Foundation Clinical Research Apprenticeship Award

Lu Lin, MD, PhD
Assessing efficacy and adverse events of new AEDs in hospitalized patients
The Brigham and Women’s Hospital

AES Junior Investigator Research Award

Rafeed Alkawadri, M.D. 
Real-Time and Passive Mapping of Brain Functions Based on Electrocorticograph
Yale University

Beth Lopour, Ph.D. 
Data-driven Detection and Temporal Evolution of High Frequency Oscillations
University of California, Irvine

Amy Brewster, Ph.D. 
The Role of C1q of the Classical Complement Pathway in Epileptogenesis
Purdue University

AES/EF Junior Investigator Research Award (supported by the Epilepsy Foundation)
Christine Baca M.D. 
Understanding Pediatric to Adult Epilepsy Transition Care Gaps
University of California, Los Angeles

Kevin Murane, Ph.D. 
A Nanotechnology Approach to Developing New Treatments for Epilepsy
Mercer University

AES Research and Training Fellowship for Clinicians
Juliet Knowles M.D., Ph.D. 
Impact of Recurrent Seizures upon Myelin Structure and Plasticity 
Stanford University
Mentors: Michelle Monje M.D., Ph.D., and John Huguenard, Ph.D.

AES/EF Research and Training Fellowship for Clinicians (supported by the Epilepsy Foundation)
Dario Englot, M.D., Ph.D. 
Defining Subcortical-Cortical Connectivity Disturbances in Focal Epilepsy 
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Mentors: Victoria Morgan, Ph.D., Bassel Abou-Khalil, M.D., and Peter Konrad M.D., Ph.D.

AES Predoctoral Research Fellowships
John Blair, MSc. 
A Human Neuronal Model of Tuberous Sclerosis 
University of California, Berkeley
Mentor: Helen Bateup, Ph.D.

Kamesh Krishnamurthy, B.S. 
TrkB and Epileptogenesis 
Duke University 
Mentor: James McNamara, M.D.

Bryan Barker, B.A. 
Role of T-Type Calcium Channels in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy 
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Mentor: Manoj Patel, Ph.D.

Meagan Siehr, B.S. 
Mechanisms Underlying Pathology and Antiepileptogenic Therapy in a Model of ISSX 
Baylor College of Medicine 
Mentor: Jeff Noebels M.D., Ph.D.

AES Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
Zane Lybrand, Ph.D. 
Chemogenetic and Molecular Approaches to Probe Seizure-Induced New Neurons 
UT Southwestern Medical Center 
Mentor: Jenny Hsieh, Ph.D.

Candace Myers, Ph.D. 
G-protein Signaling in Epileptic Encephalopathy 
University of Washington
Mentor: Heather Mefford, M.D., Ph.D.

Megan Wyeth, Ph.D. 
Inhibition of Interneurons in a Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy 
Stanford University 
Mentor: Paul Buckmaster, DVM, Ph.D.

Bin Gu, Ph.D. 
Cell Type-specific Contributions of UBE3A Loss to Epilepsy 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
Mentor: Ben Philpot, Ph.D.

Martial Dufour, Ph.D. (supported by LivaNova) 
Exploring the Role of Adult Neurogenesis in Epilepsy 
New York University School of Medicine 
Mentors: Jayeeta Basu, Ph.D., and Helen Scharfman, Ph.D.

AES/Wishes for Elliott Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (supported by AES and Wishes for Elliott: Advancing SCN8A Research)
Andrew Tidball, Ph.D. 
Mechanisms and Drug Discovery in SCN8A Patient iPSC-Derived Neurons 
University of Michigan
Mentors: Jack Parent, M.D., and Lori Isom, Ph.D.

Christopher Makinson, Ph.D. 
3D Human Culture Platform to Test SCN8A Epilepsy Mechanisms and Therapies 
Stanford University
Mentors: John Huguenard, Ph.D., and Sergiu Pasca, M.D.

AES/DSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (supported by AES and the Dravet Syndrome Foundation)
Stefanie Makinson, Ph.D. 
The Therapeutic Potential of the Thalamus in Dravet Syndrome 
University of California, San Francisco 
Mentors: Jeanne Paz, Ph.D., and Dan Lowenstein, M.D.

Predoctoral Fellowships

Andrew Hooper, B.A.
Tufts University
"The Role of Hippocampal CRH Neurons in Stress and Seizure Susceptibility"

Dipan Patel, M.S.
University of Utah
"Role of TNFa System in Causing Hyperexcitation in Hippocampus"

Stephanie Villalba, M.S.
LSU Health Sciences Center
"Pharmacogenetic Interactions in the Kcna1-null Mouse Model of SUDEP"

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Armen Abramian, Ph.D.
Stanford University
"Secretion of endozepines: Helping the brain help itself control seizures"

Isabella Ferando, M.D., Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
"Silencing epileptogenic circuits during the latent phase of epilepsy"

Lindsey Gano, Ph.D.
University of Colorado, Denver
"Sirtuin 3 Dysregulation in Epileptogenesis"

Donald Joseph, Ph.D.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
"The Aristaless homeobox transcription factor is PV cell maturation"

Balu Krishnan, Ph.D.
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
"Noninvasive Focus Localization via Connectivity Analysis of Interictal Data"

Sudhir Sivakumaran, Ph.D.
Tufts University
"Role of chloride plasticity in seizure progression and pharmacoresistance"

Susan Spencer Clinical Research Training in Epilepsy

Leigh N. Sepeta, Ph.D.
Children’s National Health System 
"Temporal lobe epilepsy in pediatric patients"

Junior Investigator

Jacqueline Burre, Ph.D.
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
"Dysfunction of STXBP1 in infantile epileptic encephalopathies"

Patrick Forcelli, Ph.D.
Georgetown University
"Optogenetic control of seizures via superior colliculus"

Christos Papadelis, Ph.D.
Boston Children's Hospital
"Propagation of high frequency oscillations as biomarker of epilepsy"

Clinical Research and Training Fellowship

Kristina Julich, M.D.
Children's Hospital Boston
"Molecular Markers in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex"