Blogs

New and Familiar Faces Form AES Team

By Eileen Murray posted 06-30-2015
With the AES transition to Chicago well underway, I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to a few of the new and familiar team members who will be working with AES. Most of the staff will be located in Chicago, but a few of our staff will work outside of Chicago. We continue to add new team members and I’ll be sharing additional hires with you in the coming weeks. Here are some of the new and familiar people who have joined the AES team: Janice Mackovitch -- Governance and Administration Manager . In this role Janice will manage governance and administration projects and activities for AES and will support the Board of Directors and Board committees ...

You are a Critical Part of AES

By Amy Brooks-Kayal posted 05-03-2015
As a member of AES, you’re a key part of our vibrant community that is shaping the future of epilepsy care and research. You are a critical part of the whole, and I hope we can continue to count on your membership with your renewal today . Membership in AES gives you access to resources to expand your knowledge and support your career and professional growth. Opportunities to connect with peers, explore leading-edge thinking and research, and take advantage of some of the strongest professional education , mentorship and networking related to epilepsy available anywhere are just a few of the other invaluable benefits of being an AES member. ...

ICARE Epilepsy Research Portfolio Analysis, Miriam Leenders, PhD

By Kate Flaherty posted 05-03-2015
Portfolio Analysis Team Lead The results of the first comprehensive epilepsy research portfolio analysis were presented at the recent ICARE meeting on April 13th, 2015. The Interagency Collaborative to Advance Research in Epilepsy ( ICARE ) is a voluntary working group of public and non-profit organizations in the United States that provide sustained funding for epilepsy research and training. ICARE was established and meets annually to better coordinate research-related activities among these groups, and to encourage collaborations where compelling opportunities exist. At the meeting on March 24, 2014 the group discussed and agreed upon the ...

Joint AAN/AES Guideline on Treatment of First Seizure

By Kate Flaherty posted 05-03-2015
AAN and AES have released a new guideline on how to treat a first seizure. The guideline is published in the April 21 issue of Neurology and will also be published in the May/June issue of Epilepsy Currents. AES members Alan Krumholtz and Jackie French presented the guidelines during a press briefing and a TweetChat during the AAN conference.

The Epilepsy Learning Institute (ELI)

By Kate Flaherty posted 04-07-2015
The Epilepsy Learning Institute (ELI) is AES’s online education site for individualized professional education, self-assessment, and self-directed learning. We continue to update this site with the latest information related to epilepsy care and research, and its content will help you maintain your specialized area of interest. Please be sure to log in so you have full access to the ELI catalog and to begin building your personalized My Learning file with content that reflects your interests. New additions to the ELI include: NEW What’s Current, author-interview podcasts from Epilepsy Currents: On demand SUDEP webinars for CME, ...

AES Partnerships Leverage Visibility of Epilepsy Specialty

By Kate Flaherty posted 04-07-2015
By Eileen Murray, AES Executive Director As the premiere specialty society for professionals with a primary interest in epilepsy, other associations often look to AES members for their expertise. General specialty societies and patient advocacy organizations, among others, are welcome partners in our shared goals of advancing our understanding of and care for people with epilepsy. The upcoming American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting is a great example of such a beneficial relationship. AAN and AES have had a long and positive partnership and AES will be very visible at this year’s AAN Annual Meeting. AES, through the AAN Epilepsy Section, ...

AES Connect: Your Source for Everything AES

By Kate Flaherty posted 03-31-2015
Want the AES community at your fingertips? AES Connect offers the tools, content and community interactions that contribute to your professional development. Being a member of an online professional community fosters the year round learning and keeps the conversation going 24/7. Hosting nearly 4000 members, AES Connect is a one-stop-shop member resource for: CME opportunities events blogs file sharing discussions Annual Meeting news and more Click here to get started today!

AES Web Site Delivers New Content and Provides Up-to-Date Information

By Kate Flaherty posted 03-24-2015
AES houses its comprehensive repository of epilepsy research, news, events and education materials online at aesnet.org . With every new advance in the epilepsy field, our digital content is renewed and updated. Several sections of the Epilepsy Education Program , an electronic epilepsy textbook and slide compendium designed for use by both students and faculty as a resource or a stand-alone learning tool, have been updated, including adult clinical, pediatric clinical and neuropharmacology. In addition, significant content has been added to our Epilepsy 101 , Medical Marijuana , Devices and Surgery pages. Please check back fr ...

Concert Benefits AES Research Funds

By Kate Flaherty posted 03-24-2015
Sometimes it really is all in the family! AES research funds benefited from AES President Amy Brooks-Kayal’s talented son Zach and the generosity of her husband, SPI Pharma CEO, Rana Kayal who teamed to organize and sponsor a concert to benefit AES. Zach is a member of Yale’s Premier A Cappella group, Mixed Company, who performed a concert to benefit AES research funds on Thursday, March 19 in Wallingford, PA. AES member Dennis DeLugos served as the evening’s MC. The event raised over $9000 for AES research. In addition to the sponsorship of SPI Pharma, other major sponsors included ACH Foods, Richards, Layton & Finger the P.A.

AES Sponsored Workshops

By Kate Flaherty posted 03-09-2015
Each year, the AES Research and Training Council provides $40,000 to fund workshops intended for broad-based, clinical or scientific audiences. These events highlight novel and creative topics in neuroscience that are for collaborative consensus or review. AES accepts funding requests during two funding cycles: spring (March) and fall (October). For the 2014-15 fiscal year, AES is pleased to provide $20,000 grants to the following two recipients: University of Utah: ADD Program Symposium , which focuses on Therapy Development in the Era of Team Science and Big Data. This conference, organized by AES member Steve White, will be held ...

ABPN MOC Requirements to Remain Unchanged

By Kate Flaherty posted 03-09-2015
In response to recent action by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) suspending the practice assessment, patient voice and patient safety requirements of maintenance of certification (MOC) for their diplomates for at least two years, AES recently sent a letter to the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) urging them to follow suit and eliminate Part IV of the MOC requirements for our diplomates. The letter cited the lack of evidence to support effectiveness of this requirement in improving patient care. ABPN responded that as a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) , they are ...

AES Responds to AAP’s Statement on Marijuana

By Kate Flaherty posted 02-09-2015
In response to the AAP’s statement on medical marijuana and children, AES took action and issued this statement. For all other information on medical marijuana and epilepsy, please click here .

WHO Executive Board Unanimously Approves Resolution on Global Epilepsy Initiative

By Kate Flaherty posted 02-09-2015
During the most recent meeting held by the World Health Organization (WHO), the executive board, with explicit support from the United States, approved unanimously a strong resolution urging Member States to take several detailed actions to prioritize epilepsy care, awareness and research. In addition, the resolution calls for the WHO Secretariat to start working on a framework program, which includes the drafting of technical documents to guide Member States in the implementation of the foresaid actions. This resolution, which can be found here , will be submitted to the General Assembly in May. According to a detailed report provided by AES member ...

International Epilepsy Day

By Kate Flaherty posted 02-09-2015
International Epilepsy Day is a joint initiative created by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). It is a global event celebrated annually on the second Monday of February to promote awareness of epilepsy around the world. AES is joining this global event through press outreach and social media. Join the conversation on social media and add your voice to raise awareness for epilepsy. Read more

2015 Another Year of Evolution by AES President, Amy Brooks-Kayal, M.D.

By Kate Flaherty posted 01-12-2015
A new year is upon us and with that comes renewed hope for those living with epilepsy. Together our AES community is taking the understanding and fight against epilepsy to the next level. The start of the New Year often brings change and the sense of a fresh start. This is why we make personal and professional resolutions and set new goals. At the core of these goals is the hope that we will be better than we were the year before. Read more.

Supporting Epilepsy Research on Giving Tuesday

By Kate Flaherty posted 12-01-2014
Because 1 in 26 people will have epilepsy in their lifetime.... Because seizures know no boundaries, striking any age, any socio-economic level and any ethnicity...... Because there are more than 150,000 new epilepsy cases diagnosed in the U.S. annually making epilepsy one of the most prevalent neurological disorders..... Because the scientific and medical communities recognize that there is a shortage of investigators and new research focused on epilepsy..... Join AES this Giving Tuesday to invest in epilepsy research , training and education to improve care and find answers. Giving Tuesday is a global day dedicated to giving back. Start a tradition ...

Recognizing Epilepsy Awareness Month

By Kate Flaherty posted 11-17-2014
Every day, each of us works to raise the profile of Epilepsy and to advance global understanding of this condition. Epilepsy Awareness Month is a time when many in the epilepsy community can shine an even greater spotlight on the lives of people living with epilepsy and the work of professionals in this arena. For the first time AES has joined in recognizing Epilepsy Awareness Month with our Epilepsy: A Window on the Brain materials . This is part of AES’ overall strategic focus to communicate more visibly the impact of epilepsy and raise awareness of the scientific strides being made by our members and others, while also highlighting AES’ role as the primary ...

Epilepsy Research Opens a Window on the Brain: Cool Science & New Discoveries Highlighted During Epilepsy Awareness Month!

By Kate Flaherty posted 11-06-2014
West Hartford, Conn., November 5, 2014 ‐‐ Rapidly emerging technologies, novel imaging techniques, the development of new therapies and new genes, have given researchers and clinicians an extraordinary ability to explore the brain at the cellular, genetic and neural levels. While current epilepsy research may seem like it’s ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel, it’s real—and even pretty cool. Epilepsy provides researchers with unparalleled avenues to discover how the brain is structured and how it functions: a true ‘window on the brain.’ In recognition of Epilepsy Awareness Month the American Epilepsy Society (AES) is highlighting just a few ...

Epilepsy: A Window on the Brain

By Kate Flaherty posted 11-03-2014
AES is recognizing Epilepsy Awareness Month with its Epilepsy: A Window on the Brain campaign. We use this familiar phrase to highlight the amazing work underway by researchers around the globe that is not only informing our understanding of epilepsy, but it is helping shed light on other disorders with similar underlying mechanisms. Autism, cerebral palsy, tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis and Alzheimer’s disease are just a few of the conditions that benefit from epilepsy research. During November, AES is featuring just a few of the many groundbreaking developments made within the last 10-50 years. This work is often led by our members who dedicate their ...

Introduction to Epilepsy

By Kate Flaherty posted 10-23-2014
Epilepsy 101 can serve as an introduction to epilepsy for anyone. If you work in an epilepsy center or practice, consider using this as an orientation and refresher course for staff and share it with your general neurology and medical teams. Visit Epilepsy 101 today and click here for flyer to print and share with colleagues. From there, move on to use the other AES educational resources: Browse our Epilepsy Education Program maintained by the Student and Resident Workgroup of AES. Check out our Epilepsy Learning Institute for more in-depth programs on epilepsy and selected annual meeting sessions. If you work in an ...