Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy

December 5, 2009
Boston, MA

• About the Lecture

The seventh Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy, presented by invited lecturer John W. Swann, Ph.D., will be held on December 5, 2009, at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in Boston, MA. The title of this year's NINDS-sponsored lecture is "Battling Epilepsy with Models and Molecules."

This Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy is the seventh  in a series highlighting the promise of epilepsy research. It is held in memory of Mrs. Judith Hoyer, an active member of the Board of Directors of the Epilepsy Foundation and the late wife of Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD). Mrs. Hoyer spent her life both helping families cope with epilepsy and promoting research into a cure and a better quality of life for those with the disorder. The purpose of the lecture is to raise awareness of epilepsy among researchers and the public and provide intellectual stimulation that will encourage continuing progress toward finding a cure for epilepsy.

• Participant Bios

Keynote Speaker, John W. Swann, Ph.D.

John W. Swann, Ph.D. is a professor of pediatrics, neuroscience and translational biology and molecular medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.  He is also scientific director of the Gordon and Mary Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories at Texas Children’s Hospital and co-director of the Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s.

Dr. Swann did his graduate training at the University of Maryland and did postdoctoral work in neuroscience which was supported by NIH, the Grass Foundation, the National Research Council and the Swedish Medical Research Council.

Throughout his career, the primary focus of Dr. Swann’s research has been on understanding the basic mechanisms responsible for epilepsy in infants and young children and the consequences recurring seizures have on brain development.  Recent studies of an animal model of infantile spasms are aimed at understanding the biological origins of this devastating childhood epilepsy.

In addition to his laboratory research, Dr. Swann has made many other important contributions to the field of epilepsy research.  He has served on and chaired numerous committees for the American Epilepsy Society and the Epilepsy Foundation of America.  He has served on numerous NIH Study Sections and chaired the Developmental Brain Disorders Study Section at NINDS.  He served as president of the American Epilepsy Society in 2007 and co-chaired the NIH Conference “Curing Epilepsy 2007: Translating Discoveries into Therapies”.  Dr. Swann has received numerous awards during his career including a Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the NIH and the American Epilepsy Society Research Award.  He will deliver the NIH Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy at the AES meeting in Boston this December.       

• Past Lectures

On December 5, 2008, Dr. Gregory L. Holmes Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics and Chairman of  the Department of Neurology at Dartmouth Medical School, presented the sixth Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy at the 2008 meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in Seattle, WA. The title of his NINDS-sponsored lecture was "Epilepsy in Children: Listening to Mothers." In his lecture, Dr. Holmes reviewed recent research that addresses an important question often raised by mothers - What are these seizures doing to my child's brain? It is now well recognized that the brains of children differ considerably from adults in both seizure susceptibility and consequences.

• The 2008 Judith Hoyer Lecture. Epilepsy in Children: Listening to Mothers.

(Keynote address from Gregory Holmes, MD)

 

On November 30, 2007, Joan K. Austin, DNS, RN, FAAN, Distinguished Professor and Sally Reahard Chair in the School of Nursing at Indiana University, Indianapolis, presented the fifth Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy at the 2007 meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in Philadelphia, PA. The title of her NINDS-sponsored lecture was "Epilepsy Comorbidities: Lennox and Lessons Learned." In her lecture, Dr. Austin presented an overview of the comorbidities associated with epilepsy and its treatments - which include cognitive and memory dysfunction, depression, anxiety, and attention disorders. She reviewed early descriptions of mental health and cognitive problems that were written by key historical figures in epilepsy, and discussed some of the important lessons that we have learned from recent research as well as the challenges that lie ahead.

• The 2007 Judith Hoyer Lecture.  Epilepsy comorbidities: Lennox and  lessons learned. 

(Keynote address from  Joan Austin, DNS, RN, FAAN)

 

On December 1, 2006, Daniel H. Lowenstein, M.D., Professor and Vice Chairman in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, presented the fourth Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy at the 2006 meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in San Diego, California. The title of his NINDS-sponsored lecture was "Pathways to Discovery in Epilepsy Research: Rethinking the Quest for Cures." In his lecture, Dr. Lowenstein presented an overview of limitations of current therapies for epilepsy, reviewed accomplishments in the past 100 years of epilepsy research, and closed by discussing the importance of large, collaborative projects and advancing technology in solving many of the research questions that remain.

• Pathways to Discovery in Epilepsy Research: Rethinking the Quest for Cures.

 (Keynote address from Daniel Lowenstein, M.D.)

 

On December 3, 2004, Thomas P. Sutula, MD, PhD (University of Wisconsin - Madison Medical School), delivered the 2004 Hoyer Lecture at the AES annual meeting in New Orleans. Dr. Sutula's presentation, "Epilepsy After the Decade of the Brain: Misunderstandings, Challenges, and Opportunities," explored some of the reasons why epilepsy is challenging for healthcare professionals and scientists and how it is often misunderstood by the public.

Dr. Sutula's remarks were published in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior, and are available to the public through a partnership between the journal and the Epilepsy Foundation. To download a copy of this article, please visit the Epilepsy & Behavior Content Preview section of the Epilepsy Foundation website.