BOSTON, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual meeting held here recently, the Epilepsy Foundation’s Professional Advisory Board elected Gregory L. Barkley, M.D., chair of the national advisory group.
Barkley is medical director of the Henry Ford Comprehensive Epilepsy Program in Detroit. He also serves on the Professional Advisory Committee of the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan based in Southfield, Mich.
The PAB, comprised of 50 epilepsy experts, counsels the Foundation on medical issues affecting people with epilepsy and provides professional peer review for over $2,000,000 in research grants the organization funds each year. It is comprised of internationally-recognized physicians, scientists and healthcare professionals who are thought-leaders in the field.
Barkley said that, as chair, he will focus on maximizing the results of Foundation-supported research toward a better understanding of the causes and treatments of this disorder that affects two and a half million Americans. “I will also stress the importance of early access to care by medical professionals with advanced knowledge about epilepsy, a theme that was central to a recent national meeting of parents, patients, physicians and epilepsy advocates,” said Barkley.
“I plan to continue existing Epilepsy Foundation initiatives on the effects of epilepsy in the areas of cognition, employment, and psychosocial aspects of health. Furthermore, the PAB will continue to try to help people with epilepsy by advocating for fairness in driving regulations for people with epilepsy. All of these initiatives will be done in close collaboration with professional societies and government health agencies that are concerned about the welfare of people with epilepsy,” Barkley said.
Barkley’s clinical and special medical interests include epilepsy, non- epileptic seizures, electoencephalography, magnetoencephalography and health care delivery. His research interests include direction of clinical trials of investigational anti-epileptic drugs and the neurophysiology of epilepsy and migraine.
The new chair has his board certifications from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with a subspecialty certification in Clinical Neurophysiology. He serves as a preceptor for medical students, residents, and fellows. He is an associate professor of Neurology at Case Western Reserve University.
Epilepsy is a chronic physical disorder affecting people of all ages that is characterized by recurring seizures, or transient periods of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Each year, 181,000 new cases of seizures and epilepsy develop in the U.S.
The Epilepsy Foundation is a nonprofit organization with the goal of ensuring that people with seizures are able to participate in all life experiences; and works to prevent, control and cure epilepsy through research, education, advocacy and services.
The Epilepsy Foundation
CONTACT: Peter VanHaverbeke, +1-301-918-3772, or Sylvia Blair,+1-301-918-3773, both of the Epilepsy Foundation
Web site: http://www.efa.org/
