FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON March 25, 2013
University of Wisconsin Researcher Receives $130,000 for Epilepsy Research
Funded by American Brain Foundation, American Epilepsy Society and the Epilepsy Foundation
SAN DIEGO -
A researcher from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Neurology will receive $130,000 to conduct further research on epilepsy following traumatic brain injury through the Susan S. Spencer Clinical Research Training Fellowship funded by the American Brain Foundation, the American Epilepsy Society and the Epilepsy Foundation. The fellowship will be presented in San Diego during the 65th Annual Meeting, the world鈥檚 largest meeting of neurologists. Robert Kotloski, MD, PhD, a neurophysiology fellow in epilepsy, was awarded the fellowship for work investigating the changes in brain activity during the time period between a brain injury and appearance of seizures. His ultimate goal is to better understand seizures following traumatic brain injury and work to develop new treatments. The two-year award will consist of an annual salary of $55,000, plus $10,000 per year in educational expenses. The award recognizes the importance of epilepsy clinical research with the goal of providing better treatment, prevention or cure of the disease. Clinical research is the fundamental transition stage between discovery and treatment. Clinical research provides the scientific basis for all forms of care, addresses patient and caregiver needs and is the backbone for drug development and cost-effectiveness studies needed to improve lives. Fellowships provide recipients with up to three years of 鈥減rotected time鈥 with salary, which allows them to continue important research projects. Epilepsy is a common neurologic disorder that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. Seizures are episodes of disturbed brain function that cause changes in attention or behavior. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, he or she is considered to have epilepsy. Epilepsy is a family of more than 40 syndromes that affects more than three million people in the United States and 50 million worldwide. The award is named in memory of Susan S. Spencer, MD, a Fellow of the 好色先生 who was a leading epilepsy researcher.