The Emory Epilepsy Center

I. General

The Emory Epilepsy Center consists of a multi-specialty group of physicians, neuropsychologists, and nurses, including specialists from the Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Radiology. The Center specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with seizures, epilepsy and episodic disorders of consciousness. Special diagnostic tools include video-electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, and advanced brain imaging techniques with magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, and with positron emission tomography. The Center sponsors multiple ongoing research projects. Specific interests include the treatment of medically-refractory epilepsy, non-invasive diagnosis with brain imaging, brain mapping with transcranial magnetic stimulation, epilepsy in special populations (the elderly, children, and women during reproductive years), and new therapies with medications and surgical procedures, including electrical stimulation.

II. Clinical Staff:

	Kimford Meador, M.D., is Director of the Emory Epilepsy Center and Professor of Neurology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Meador is the Principal Investigator for the NEAD Study, which is a multicenter NIH funded study examining the cognitive and behavioral effects of in utero antiepileptic drug exposure in children. He was previously the Charbonnier Professor of Neurology at Medical College of Georgia, the Chair of Neurology at Georgetown University, and the Melvin Greer Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida. He has authored over 300 publications. Active areas of research include cerebral lateralization, dementia, epilepsy, mechanisms of attention and memory, neglect syndrome, neurodevelopmental effects of antiepileptic drugs, and the pharmacology and physiology of cognition.
	Charles M. Epstein, M. D., is Director of the Magnetic Stimulation Laboratory at Emory University, Professor of Neurology, and directs intra-operative neurophysiological monitoring. His clinical practice emphasizes adult epilepsies, including diagnosis of seizures, planning for epilepsy surgery, and treatment with epilepsy medications and vagus nerve stimulation. His research interests are transcranial magnetic stimulation and brain mapping.
	Robert A. Gross, M.D., Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, and directs functional and stereotactic neurosurgery. His clinical practice emphasizes adult epilepsies, including planning for and performing epilepsy surgery and performing vagal nerve stimulator implantation. His research interests are new epilepsy surgical therapies, inlcuding deep brain stimulation and hippocampal stimulation, and investigational trials in the surgical treatments of movement disorders.
	Sandra L. Helmers, M.D., is Associate Professor of Neurology, Associate Director of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Neurology and directs the adult electroencephalography laboratory at Emory University Hospital and Clinic. Her clinical practice emphasizes adult epilepsies, including diagnosis of seizures, planning for epilepsy surgery, and treatment with epilepsy medications and vagus nerve stimulation. Her research interests are investigational drug, device, and surgery trials for the treatment of medically-refractory epilepsy in children and adults, and the neurogenetics of epilepsy.
	Philip J. Holt, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, directs the pediatric electroencephalography laboratory and directs intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta Egleston campus. His clinical practice emphasizes childhood epilepsies, including diagnosis of seizures, planning for epilepsy surgery, and treatment with epilepsy medications and vagus nerve stimulation. His research interests are vagus nerve stimulation and the ketogenic diet.
	Archana Koganti, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Neurology, and directs the electroencephalography laboratory and epilepsy monitoring unit at Grady Memorial Hospital. Her clinical practice emphasizes adult epilepsies, including diagnosis of seizures, planning for epilepsy surgery, and treatment with epilepsy medications and vagus nerve stimulation. Her research interests are medical management of women with epilepsy, health related quality of life in patients with epilepsy and investigational drug and device trials for medically refractory epilepsy.
	Suzette LaRoche, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Neurology and directs ICU monitoring at Emory University Hospital. Her clinical practice emphasizes adult epilepsies, including diagnosis of seizures, planning for epilepsy surgery, and treatment with epilepsy medications and vagus nerve stimulation. Her research interests are diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in the elderly population, continuous EEG monitoring in the ICU and the treatment of status epilepticus, the impact of epilepsy on quality of life, and investigational drug, device and surgery trials for medically refractory epilepsy.
	Larry D. Olson, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, and directs the epilepsy monitoring unit at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Egleston campus. His clinical practice emphasizes childhood epilepsies, including diagnosis of seizures, planning for epilepsy surgery, and treatment with epilepsy medications and vagus nerve stimulation. His research interests are bioinformatics and new epilepsy therapies.
	Sandra D. Clements, M.S., R.N. Jenneth Q. Montgomery, R.N. Melanee Newman, R.N. are Epilepsy Nurse Specialists and Epilepsy Research Nurses.

Please click here for a brochure regarding the Epilepsy program at Emory University.

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