FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Holly Gibson at Fleishman Hillard, Inc. 816/512-2349 [email protected]
THREE LEADING EPILEPSY RESEARCHERS HONORED FOR THEIR ROLE IN THE STUDY OF DRUG THERAPY, SURGERY AND THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF SEIZURE DISORDERS
Each is a Recipient of the Milken Family Foundation Award
BOSTON, Mass. (Dec. 3, 1997) -- Three pioneering scientists who have had a major influence on the direction of epilepsy research and treatment over the past several decades will be honored for their work at a luncheon Monday, Dec. 8, during the 1997 annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). The meeting will be held at The Westin Copley Place in Boston, Dec. 5--10.
The scientists who will be honored with the coveted American Epilepsy Society/ Milken Family Foundation's epilepsy research awards are:
Robert L. Macdonald, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor, an internationally-recognized basic scientist who has identified the processes by which certain epilepsy drugs work in the brain;
Richard H. Mattson, M.D., of Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., whose contributions in the treatment of epilepsy have greatly enhanced the clinical management of the condition throughout the world; and
Esper A. Cavalheiro, M.D., Ph.D., of the Paulista School of Medicine in Sao Paulo, Brazil, an authority on the relationship between seizures early in life and the development of epilepsy who is considered the foremost epilepsy scientist in Latin America.
The awards, which carry prizes of $33,000 each, are sponsored by the Milken Family Foundation in cooperation with the American Epilepsy Society (AES). The Foundation funds the program to recognize outstanding scientists in their work to better understand and conquer seizure disorders.
Drs. Macdonald and Cavalheiro will both receive the "Basic Neuroscientist Award." Macdonald was praised for his work in the biophysical and neuropharmacological properties of epilepsy drug therapy, while Cavalheiro has received accolades for his research in analyzing the relationship between prolonged seizures in early life and the subsequent development of temporal lobe epilepsy.
Dr. Mattson is being honored with the "Clinical Investigator Award" for a wide range of work, including his pioneering efforts in electroencephalography, landmark studies involving anti-epileptic drugs and for his leadership role in establishing a place for intensive monitoring for diagnosis, drug therapy and epilepsy surgery in the treatment of intractable epilepsy.
ROBERT L. MACDONALD
Macdonald is currently the Russell N. DeJong professor of neurology and professor of physiology at the University of Michigan. In a long and distinguished career, Macdonald has been involved in identifying the mechanisms of action of anti-epileptic drugs, including benzodiazepines, barbiturates, phenytoin, carbamazepine and valporic acid. Additionally, Macdonald has played a major role in characterizing the properties of GABAA receptor (GABAR) channels, and has been instrumental in characterizing the effects of neuropeptides on voltage gated calcium channels.
ESPER A. CAVALHEIRO
Cavalheiro is currently a professor in the department of neurology and neurosurgery and the laboratory of experimental neurology at the Paulista School of Medicine. Through his work and research into the study of the disorder, Cavalheiro has established himself as the leading experimental neuroscientist in the field of epilepsy in South America. He has focused his experimental studies on the developmental aspects of epilepsy. In particular, his study of the pilocarpine status epilepticus model over the past decade has established this as the best experimental test system for analyzing the relationship between prolonged seizures in early life and the subsequent development of temporal lobe epilepsy.
RICHARD H. MATTSON
Mattson currently serves as professor and vice chairman for academic affairs for the department of neurology at Yale University School of Medicine and VA Healthcare West Haven, Conn. Over the past 35 years, Mattson has made major contributions to the study of epilepsy. His most notable accomplishments include his work in demonstrating the benefits of sleep deprivation in precipitating epileptiform abnormalities in EEG, his success in establishing the clinical usefulness of antiepileptic drug level monitoring, and two landmark Veteran's Administration (VA) cooperative studies which examined the efficacy and toxicity of phenobarbital, primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine and valporate. Mattson is also highly regarded for his role in establishing the world's first epilepsy center for using CCTV/EEG for the diagnosis of epilepsy and for surgical evaluation.
The epilepsy awards program was established by the Milken Family Foundation in cooperation with the American Epilepsy Society to advance epilepsy research and attract outstanding investigators to the field. The program offers a variety of awards, grants and fellowships to qualified medical researchers selected through professional peer review.
The American Epilepsy Society is the professional society for physicians and other health care professionals who treat or study the biological, clinical and/or psychological aspects of epilepsy. Among its members are the neurologists, epileptologists, neurological nurses, basic scientists and clinical investigators devoted to improving the quality of life for the 2.5 million Americans with seizure disorders.
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