2020 Early Career Grants
Learn more about our past grantees by clicking here.
(June 2020) The American Epilepsy Society is proud to announce support of 25 early career scientists with $1.1 million in research grants and fellowships. Congratulations to the 2020 Early Career Awardees!
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“As one of the largest non-governmental funders for those starting careers in epilepsy research, AES is committed to developing the next generation of epilepsy investigators. The collective talent and accomplishment represented by this year’s impressive awardees—combined with that of grantees from previous years—promises to fuel advances in epilepsy prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for years to come.” William D. Gaillard, MD |
AES research dollars support trainees, fellows, and newly independent investigators working across the full spectrum of epilepsy research, from basic science through translational and clinical research for all types of epilepsy, seizures, and related conditions.
Grants are supported in part by philanthropic gifts and bequests to the Lennox and Lombroso Fund for Research and Training and the Susan S. Spencer Fund for Clinical Research and Education. In addition, several nonprofit organizations and industry supporters provide full or partial funding of specific grants.
AES would like to thank the following organizations and companies for their support of epilepsy research:
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- Epilepsy Foundation
- Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation
- Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy
- Wishes for Elliott
- Epilepsy Study Consortium
- American Brain Foundation, in collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology
- LivaNova
Junior Investigator Awards
$50,000 for newly-independent investigators to support the direct costs of research, along with one year of AES membership.
Ukpong Eyo, PhD |
Emily Johnson, MD |
Vaishnav Krishnan, MD, PhD |
Elliot Smith, PhD |
Fraser Sparks, PhD |
AES/EF Junior Investigator Awards, Funded in Full by the Epilepsy Foundation
Leah Blank, MD |
David Klorig, PhD |
Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians
Mentored support for clinical fellows or junior clinical faculty with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.
Claire Jacobs, MD, PhD |
Jennifer Shum, MD |
Steven Tobochnik, MD |
PERF/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 50% by PERF
Tayyba Anwar, MD |
CURE/AES Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians, funded at 50% by CURE
James Gugger, MD, PharmD |
Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
Mentored research fellowships with up to $50,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.
Aswathy AmmothumKandy, PhD |
Jessica Chancey, PhD |
Ping Dong, PhD |
Hisako Fujiwara, PhD |
Kaoutsar Nasrallah, PhD |
Chelsea Pernici, PhD |
AES Predoctoral Research Fellowships
Mentored research fellowships with up to $30,000 for stipend and travel support, along with one year of AES membership.
Jennifer Cheng, BA |
Madelyn Haller, BA |
Susan Nguyen, MSOT, BS |
AES/Wishes for Elliott Predoctoral Research Fellowship, $10,000 funded by WFE
Letonia Copeland-Hardin, BS |
Epilepsy Study Consortium (ESC) Mini-grant, Funded by ESC and Administered by AES
Taneeta Ganguly, MD |
Epilepsy Foundation Clinical Research Apprenticeship Award, funded by the Epilepsy Foundation and Administered by AES
Susanna O’Kula, MD |
Susan S. Spencer Clinical Research Training Fellowship, 2020-2021
Funded by the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation, and American Brain Foundation in collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology
Colin Ellis, MD |
Many Thanks to Our Reviewers and Volunteers
The AES early career grants program is overseen by the AES Research and Training Council. Funding recommendations are based upon a proposal review led by the AES Early Career Grant Review Committee. Basic and clinical co-chairs lead both the review committee and the Research and Training Council.
Members of the grant review committee were recruited to represent 15 critical fields of research expertise. Additional ad hoc reviewers are recruited annually to ensure that the expertise of the reviewers matches that of the proposals submitted.
All reviewers are volunteers who are AES members. We deeply appreciate their support of this important AES program.
Co-chairs, Early Career Grant Review Committee
Edward Cooper, MD, PhD |
Jenny Hsieh, PhD |
Members
Christine Baca, MD |
Tim Benke, MD, PhD |
Angelique Bordey, PhD |
Gemma Carvill, PhD |
Catherine Christian, PhD |
Robert Hunt, PhD |
Kimberle Jacobs, PhD |
Anli Liu, MD |
Kimford Meador, MD |
Geoffrey Murphy, PhD |
Ivan Soltesz, PhD |
William Stacey, MD, PhD |
Anastasios Tzingounis, PhD |
Mingshan Xue, PhD |
Janelle Wagner, PhD |
Ad Hoc Reviewers
Abbas Babajani-Feremi, PhD |
Melissa Barker-Haliski, PhD |
Mark Beenhakker, PhD |
Laura Borodinsky, PhD |
Krzysztof Bujarski, MD |
Kathryn Davis, MD, MSTR |
Christina Gross, PhD |
Alicia Guemez Gamboa, PhD |
John Hablitz, PhD |
Jennifer Kearney, PhD |
Heidi Kirsch, MD |
Beth Leeman-Markowski, MD |
Alberto Musto, MD, PhD |
Christos Papadelis, PhD |
Manoj Patel, PhD |
Nicholas Poolos, MD, PhD |
Nathan Anthony Smith, PhD |
Kevin Staley, MD |
Geoffrey Swanson, PhD |
Lawrence Ver Hoef, MD |
AES Staff
Penny Dacks, PhD Associate Executive Director, Programs |
Jennifer Brummet, PhD Program Coordinator, Research |