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info@myepilepsystory.org
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(615) 822-4224
Meet Our Team
Board of Directors
Brandy McFadden is a wife, mother, patient advocate, patient expert, Executive Director/Founder of My Epilepsy Story(MES), Founder of International Women with Epilepsy Day (IWWED) held every March 1st, Founder of McFadden Media, Host of: Her Voice, Her Story, Her Strength , a woman living with epilepsy and recently beat Stage 3 Breast Cancer. She is a member of the American Epilepsy Society and the American Epilepsy Society Epilepsy Leadership Council (ELC). Mrs. McFadden is a member of the AES ELC: Surveillance/Prevention Working Group and Membership Committee, a Consultant and Patient Advocate on the MONEAD Project, and COPE. Mrs. McFadden was named PCORI Ambassador in 2014. In addition, she is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology: Epilepsy Quality Measure Development Work Group and the American Academy of Neurology: Women with Epilepsy Guideline Work Group. Mrs. McFadden is a part of a research group that was recently awarded a PCORI grant at the University of Pittsburgh titled, “Mapping A Prioritized Agenda for Patient-Centered Comparative Effectiveness Research in Women with Epilepsy. “
Mrs. McFadden testified before the Institute of Medicine (IOM) about her personal epilepsy story in 2011, which inspired her to found, My Epilepsy Story. She has presented at numerous hospitals and universities for Grand Rounds throughout the United States to help doctors understand the importance of Patient-Centered care as well as ways to incorporate this when caring for their patients. Mrs. McFadden also presents on the importance of Patient-Driven Research.
Mrs. McFadden’s passion is to advocate for cutting-edge clinical care and research for women living with epilepsy. She believes that we can “bridge the gap for women diagnosed with epilepsy” by having Women’s Epilepsy Clinics and Centers across the globe. Also, she believes that women’s health issues related to epilepsy needs to be addressed globally. Mrs. McFadden is also passionate about having a national pregnancy registry that is federally funded. In addition, she has an interest in finding out the FULL IMPACT that anti-seizure medications have on ALL people living with epilepsy.
Mrs. McFadden has recently become heavily involved in ALL women's health issues internationally. She believes that we cannot address the health needs and disparities in this country without having a strong foundation and that foundation is grounded in women’s health through advocacy, research, education and Women's Health Centers
Mrs. McFadden spends her free time with her husband, James, and their three children, Samuel, Hannah-Kate, and David.
BOARD CHAIR
Dr. Sarita Maturu is an Epileptologist at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in Columbus OH. She obtained her medical degree at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio. She went up north to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, where she spent the next 4 years completing her Neurology residency. She then completed her fellowship at University Hospital Case Western Medical Center, where she was trained in Epilepsy.
Dr. Maturu became interested in Epilepsy quite early on in her training. She has a special interest in treating women with epilepsy and a passion for improving the quality of life in this specific patient population. In partnership with the Maternal Fetal Medicine department, she has developed the Epilepsy and High Risk OB Clinic, where she manages women that have epilepsy and are pregnant. She has also helped develop the Epilepsy Transition Clinic, which partners with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to provide more personalized care through this time.
VICE CHAIR
Dr. Laura Kirkpatrick is a pediatric epileptologist and clinician-investigator at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where she is also the Associate Director of Child Neurology Research. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Chicago (with Honors), medical school at Georgetown University (Cum Laude), and both residency training in child neurology and fellowship training in epilepsy at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research program focuses on improving comprehensive reproductive healthcare for adolescents and young adults with epilepsy, including individuals with both typical intellectual development and co-occurring intellectual disabilities. Her research program prioritizes community partnership strategies that center the perspectives of adolescents and young adults living with epilepsy and their families. Dr. Kirkpatrick’s work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Child Neurology Foundation, the American Epilepsy Society, the Society of Family Planning, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Neurology. She also directs the Epilepsy Transition Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh, which optimizes care for adolescents and young adults who are transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare.
Dr. Kimford J. Meador is the Founding Board Chair of My Epilepsy Story (MES) and Board Member Emeritus.
Dr. Meador is a Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at the Stanford University and Director of the SHC Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. Dr. Meador graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Applied Biology (with high honors) and received his MD from the Medical College of Georgia. After an internship at the University of Virginia and service as an officer in the Public Health Corps, he completed a residency in Neurology at the Medical College of Georgia and a fellowship in Behavioral Neurology at the University of Florida. Dr. Meador joined the faculty at the Medical College of Georgia (1984-2002), where he became the Charbonnier Professor of Neurology.
Dr. Meador was the Chair of Neurology at Georgetown University (2002-2004) and the Melvin Greer Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at the University of Florida (2004-2008), where he served as Director of the Epilepsy Program and Director of the Clinical Alzheimer Research Program. He was a Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Emory University (2008-2013), where he served as Director of Epilepsy and Director of Clinical Neuroscience Research. Dr. Meador joined the faculty of Stanford University in 2013, where he is a Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and Director of the SHC Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.
He is currently the Multi-PI on two multicenter investigations: one on pregnancy outcomes in women with epilepsy, including neurodevelopmental effects of fetal antiepileptic drug exposure, and one on the cognitive effects of antiepileptic drugs in children with focal epilepsy. Dr. Meador has authored over 400 peer-reviewed publications. His research interests include cognitive mechanisms (e.g., memory and attention); cerebral lateralization; pharmacology and physiology of cognition; mechanisms of perception, consciousness and memory; EEG; epilepsy; preoperative evaluation for epilepsy surgery; intracarotid amobarbital procedure (i.e., Wada test); functional imaging; therapeutic drug trials; neurodevelopmental effects of antiepileptic drugs; psychoimmunology; behavioral disorders (e.g., aphasia, neglect, dementia); and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Dr. Meador has served on the editorial boards for Clinical Neurophysiology, Epilepsy and Behavior, Epilepsy Currents, Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology, Neurology, Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, and Epilepsy.com. His honors include the Resident Teaching Award Medical College of Georgia, Outstanding Young Faculty Award in Clinical Sciences Medical College of Georgia, Distinguished Faculty Award for Clinical Research Medical College of Georgia Lawrence C. McHenry History Award American Academy of Neurology, Dreifuss Abstract Award American Epilepsy Society, Fellow of the American Neurological Association, Diplomat of American Neurologic Association, past Chair of the Section of Behavioral Neurology of American Academy of Neurology, past President of Society for Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, past President of the Society for Behavioral & Cognitive Neurology, past President of the Southern EEG & Epilepsy Society, and American Epilepsy Society Clinical Research Award.
My Epilepsy Story (MES) created the Kimford J Meador Research in Women with Epilepsy Award to recognize the accomplishments of Dr. Meador
Dr. Rebecca Bromley is a Paediatric Neuropsychologist at the University of Manchester and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Her interests surround exposure to medications in the womb and the possible impact on later child cognitive, motor, and social development. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Liverpool, UK on the longer-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of children exposed to anti-seizure medications in the womb. Dr. Bromley later moved to the University of Manchester where she completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She stayed in Manchester to continue her work with Professor Jill Clayton-Smith and later went on to develop a series of observational cohort studies aimed at further delineating the potential risks associated with in-utero exposure to medications, particularly antiseizure medications. She is on the committee for the UK and Ireland Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register and is leading their neurodevelopment work. Dr. Bromley is currently working with colleagues across Europe to improve the research and reporting of medication-exposed pregnancies. Her focus here is on improving the neurodevelopmental investigations within pregnancy pharmacovigilance, and as part of this, she is leading the Neurodevelopmental Pharmacovigilance Research Group at the University of Manchester.
Dr. Bromley has consulted on pregnancy pharmacovigilance topics for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and she collaborates with several different Expert Experience Groups and UK epilepsy charities. Dr. Bromley has published over 40 academic articles and spoken at a number of international conferences.
Clinically Dr. Bromley works as part of the Complex Epilepsy Team at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and also the Manchester Rare Conditions Centre. She is involved in diagnosing and caring for children and young people with epilepsy, metabolic disorders, acquired brain injury, and other neurological conditions. She also provides Neuropsychological assessment and intervention for children and young people with Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder.
(EEG Diplomate)
Neurology, Epilepsy & EEG
Since 2012, Dr. Esther Bui has worked as a neurologist and epilepsy specialist focusing on women's neurological health. She is an assistant professor and clinician educator within the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Bui's pregnancy and epilepsy clinic is dedicated to fertility, pre-conception counselling, pregnancy and postpartum care for women with epilepsy. As well, the women's epilepsy program has expanded to explore how menses, ageing, perimenopause and menopause can impact a woman's epilepsy. In 2015 Dr. Bui created an advanced training program for resident physicians to learn more about Women's Issues in Neurology. Physicians across Canada as well as the US and Europe come to learn Women's Neurology. In 2017, Dr. Bui founded Canada's first and only accredited Women's Neurology Fellowship at the University of Toronto. She is currently the co-Director of the Women's Neurology Fellowship Program and the Director of the Epilepsy Fellowship program. She has published 30+ scientific papers, a clinical handbook, "Women with Epilepsy: A Practical Management Handbook", and a children's book "Lost and Found: A Bunny's Story". Her children's book, inspired by the 900+ moms and babies graduates of the epilepsy & pregnancy clinic, was written to empower parents facing illness to create an authentic narrative of their lived
Dr. Caryn Dutton is the Division Director of Family Planning in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and on faculty at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. She obtained her M.D. from the University of Connecticut, then completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara, CA, and her fellowship in Family Planning at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. Dr. Dutton has long-standing expertise in gynecologic and contraceptive care for patients with epilepsy, initially while she was at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, WI, and expanding this role in her collaborative care of patients with the Women’s Neurology Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA from 2010-2020. She has been named by her colleagues as a “Top Doctor” in Boston Magazine and has received numerous teaching awards for her work as a medical educator. Her research interests include evaluating the impact of anti-seizure medications on contraceptive hormones. As a board member for My Epilepsy Story, Dr. Dutton looks forward to continuing to advocate for and educate to advance provider awareness and patient access to high-quality reproductive health services for patients with epilepsy.
Robert Moss knows first hand how it feels to have a child with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and Epilepsy. It was the helplessness he felt in his own situation that inspired him to create Seizure Tracker. He watched his son, Evan, have countless seizures and knew there had to be a more effective way to monitor the seizure activity and medications than writing them down on paper. Putting his commercial photography business aside and teaching himself to be a website developer, he began the career shift that would ultimately provide SeizureTracker.com to a global community. Seizure Tracker is a free resource with over 30,000 people using the site in as faraway places as Sweden, Japan, Qatar and India. Robert is dedicated to empowering people living with epilepsy and giving back to the community he is also very much a part of.
Dr. Naymee Velez Ruiz is Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.
Dr. Velez Ruiz is the Medical Director of the Jackson Memorial Hospital Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and EEG Laboratories, and she is an Attending Epileptologist at the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics and Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Velez Ruiz is Director of the Women & Epilepsy Program at UHealth and has been the Epilepsy Fellowship Director since 2017. She has dedicated a great part of her efforts to education in epilepsy.
Dr. Velez Ruiz was born in Puerto Rico. After receiving her medical degree at the University of Puerto Rico, she trained in Neurology at Boston Medical Center. Subsequently, she completed a two-year Epilepsy Fellowship program at the Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as an additional one-year program in Academic General Neurology at the same institution. Her first faculty position was in the Epilepsy Division at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. While at Emory University, Dr. Velez Ruiz served as an attending Epileptologist, Assistant Professor of Neurology, and Medical Director of the Emory University Hospital Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.
Dr. Velez Ruiz joined the University of Miami Comprehensive Epilepsy Center in 2015. Her main interests include the treatment of patients with epilepsy refractory to antiseizure drugs, epilepsy surgery including presurgical evaluations with intracranial monitoring, and women issues in epilepsy including the treatment of catamenial seizures and epilepsy during pregnancy. She was the Site Principal Investigator (PI) for the Maternal Outcomes and Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs (MONEAD) Study and has been co-investigator of multiple projects on the subjects of women with epilepsy and epilepsy surgery.
Dr. Velez Ruiz is a Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society (FAES), and she has been part of the Treatments Committee. Dr. Velez Ruiz is committed to expanding the treatment options for patients with epilepsy refractory to medical treatment, and to improving the quality of care for women with epilepsy.
Advisory Board
Dr. Torbjörn Tomson is Professor of Neurology and Epileptology at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and head of the Epilepsy Section at the Department of Neurology at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.
Dr Tomson received his medical and neurology training at Karolinska Institutet where he gained his MD in 1974 and his PhD in 1983. He became Professor of Neurology in 2002 and Professor of Neurology and Epileptology in 2010 at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet.
Starting with studies of clinical pharmacology of antiepileptic drugs his research interest has developed to involve also epidemiological approaches with the overall aim to reduce risks in epilepsy and in association with its treatment. In the last decades his research has focused on two main areas: pregnancy outcomes in women with epilepsy and mortality in epilepsy, in particularly SUDEP. He was one of the initiators of EURAP, the international antiepileptic drugs and pregnancy registry, a collaboration between more than 40 countries, which he is currently leading. He has been engaged in national and international collaborative studies aiming at identifying risk factors for SUDEP as well improving our understanding of SUDEP mechanisms.
Dr Tomson has authored more than 200 papers related to epilepsy. He was awarded Ambassador of Epilepsy in 1999, the Golden Candle Award from the Swedish Epilepsy Association in 2011, the AES Research Recognition Award for Clinical Science in 2013, and is Honorary Professor of Hanoi Medical University since 2011.
Founding MES Board Member and Past Chair
Dr. Gregory Mathews is a board-certified neurologist with special qualifications in clinical neurophysiology. He specializes in diagnosing and treating seizures and epilepsy and serves as co-director of the Epilepsy Center at Vandalia Health CAMC Neurology. Dr. Mathews earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He received both his medical degree and doctorate from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. He completed a neurology residency and fellowships in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, followed by a research fellowship at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in the Synaptic Physiology Unit. From 2003 to 2010, he served on the neurology and pharmacology faculty at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN. His research, funded by the NINDS and Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, focused on the brain’s inhibitory systems. Dr. Mathews has published extensively in medical and scientific journals and has held leadership positions with the American Epilepsy Society. Before joining CAMC in April 2025, he directed an epilepsy specialty practice in Silver Spring, MD, and served as medical director of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and EEG Laboratory at Holy Cross Hospital. He is committed to using the most advanced treatments available to help people with epilepsy gain better seizure control and improve their quality of life.
Dr. Kaitlyn Parratt is a Neurologist and Epileptologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. Her areas of interest include anti-epileptic drug therapy, caring for women and young people with epilepsy and the psychological impacts of epilepsy in all patient populations. Kaitlyn is the current Vice President of the Epilepsy Society of Australia.
Dr. Sanjeev V. Thomas received his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Medicine from the University of Kerala before getting DM Neurology Degree from the prestigious Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Research in Trivandrum, India (1988). He joined the faculty of Neurology in the same Institute in 1990 and focussed on Epileptology. Dr. Thomas had fellowship training in epilepsy from the NIH, Bethesda, USA and University of Umea, Sweden in 1994.
His major research focus was on women with epilepsy. He initiated the Kerala Registry of Epilepsy and Pregnancy. This is the only registry from a developing country. He has over 150 publications to his credit. The data from this registry had provided several unique perspectives on challenges in managing epilepsy in women of reproductive age.
Dr. Thomas was awarded the Ambassador for Epilepsy by the ILAE and IBE in 2019. He was a Fulbright Professor in USA in 2011. He was a member of several task forces and commissions under the ILAE. Presently he is serving as the Director of the Institute of Communicative and Cognitive Neurosciences, Trivandrum, India.
Founding MES Board Member
Dr. Gregory Barnes is the inaugural permanent director of the University of Louisville Autism Center. Dr. Barnes comes to UofL from Vanderbilt University. Barnes also holds the Spafford Ackerly Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and faculty positions in the departments of Neurology and Pediatrics.
“Dr. Barnes is a national leader in providing care for people who are affected by autism,” said David L. Dunn, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president for health affairs at UofL. “His emphasis on evidence-based treatment, teamed with his research into potential genetic influences into the development of the disorder, as well as the potential influence in epilepsy, make him a perfect fit for our program.”
In 2008, Barnes was appointed national neurology co-leader for the Autism Treatment Network. In 2012 he was appointed to the external scientific advisory committee for the Preclinical Autism Consortium for Therapeutics (PACT). He also has served as a reviewer for the Autism Speaks special grant program for preclinical translational research and the Autism Speaks translational postdoctoral fellowship grant program.
Barnes, who holds the academic title of associate professor of neurology and pediatrics, has held academic appointments at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Harvard Medical School, Duke University Medical School, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and Vanderbilt School of Medicine.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in molecular biology from Vanderbilt University before earning his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Barnes also earned his medical degree from UK. He served his pediatric residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in affiliation with Washington University School of Medicine. He served as a clinical fellow in pediatrics, neurology and epilepsy at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He completed an epilepsy research fellowship from the Duke University Center for the Advanced Study of Epilepsy.
Dr. Barnes is a native of Louisville and has two children. His wife Kay is a native of Owensboro, KY.
Founding MES Board Member
Dr. Kay Solar spent the last 30 years treating women as a board certified Obstetrician Gynecologist in Baton Rouge, LA. She attended the University of Arkansas and received her medical degree from the University of Arkansas Medical School. She met Dr. Curtis Solar during their residency in St. Louis and moved with him to Baton Rouge, LA to practice at Woman’s Hospital. In addition to her clinical practice, she was a medical correspondent for local TV, frequent speaker on health issues in the community, and co-hosted her own 1 hour radio-TV show.
She retired from her practice in Baton Rouge and moved with her husband to Gallatin, TN (just outside of Nashville) 4 years ago where he continues to practice Ob/Gyn as a Locum tenems and they continue to help others maintain and optimize their health. They have a website, Solar Healthgevity, and hope to continue to help others continue to stay healthy as they age. She, also, writes for her local community magazine, Stroll. Music has always been a passion and she fills her spare time working in the music business on artist management, artist booking, and events planning.
Dr. Jim McAuley received his BS Pharmacy (1987) and PhD in Clinical Pharmaceutical Science (1993) - both from the University of Pittsburgh. He started as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Ohio State in March 1993 and has risen through the ranks to a Full Professor of Pharmacy Education & Innovation and Neurology. His research, teaching and practice revolve around patients with epilepsy. He has been recognized for his teaching and is a Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association. In 2014, he was appointed as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs where he continues his focus on enhancing the student experience.
Past MES Chair
Dr. Emanuela Voinescu is a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, who focuses her clinical and research efforts on improving the care of women with epilepsy. She obtained her medical degree from University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania, and her doctoral degree from Harvard University, prior to completing the Partners Neurology Residency and a 2-year fellowship in clinical neurophysiology/epilepsy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.
Dr. Voinescu started doing research at Caltech, as a summer undergraduate fellow in Dr. Mary B Kennedy’s lab; she then pursued a PhD at Harvard University in Dr. Joshua R Sanes's lab and got solid training in the molecular underpinning of synaptic specificity and plasticity. Under the mentorship of Dr. Pennell since residency, her clinical research so far aimed to optimize the selection of the antiepileptic regimen in the preconception settings and fine-tune it to adequately compensate for the specific drug clearance changes during pregnancy. Dr. Voinescu plans to expand her clinical research into translational aspects of how sex hormones and genetic variability influence neuronal excitability and implicitly epilepsy pathophysiology, but also response to medications.
Expert Panel
Leah Blank MD, MPH is a neurologist and epileptologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She is also a health services researcher who works to improve care delivery and outcomes for people with epilepsy.
Leah Camposeo, PT, DPT, is a pelvic floor physical therapist dedicated to helping women feel strong, confident, and supported through every stage of life. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from University at Buffalo in 2010 and has since built a career focused on women’s health and functional movement.
Leah has completed advanced training through the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, equipping her with specialized skills to treat pelvic floor dysfunction, pregnancy-related changes, and postpartum recovery. Her approach blends clinical expertise with practical, real-life application—helping her patients return to the activities they love, from daily tasks to high-level fitness.
She currently practices at Prescribed Motion, where she works closely with women—especially moms—to rebuild core strength, improve pelvic health, and enhance overall performance. Leah is passionate about education and empowers her clients with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to take control of their bodies.
Nicholas Camposeo, DO, is an emergency medicine physician and academic leader currently serving as Associate Dean for Clinical Medical Education at D’Youville University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DYU‑COM). In this role, he is the principal administrative officer for clinical education, overseeing clinical training strategy, accreditation readiness, and continuity of clinical experiences across the medical curriculum. He also serves as Medical Director of the D’Youville University Physician Assistant Program, providing physician leadership for PA education and clinical training.
Dr. Camposeo is a board‑certified emergency medicine attending with UBMD, practicing at Erie County Medical Center, and previously at the VA Medical Center in Buffalo. He completed his emergency medicine residency at the University at Buffalo after earning his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from SUNY Buffalo.
His academic career includes extensive experience in graduate medical education, having served as an Associate Program Director for an emergency medicine residency, Assistant Simulation Director, and Procedure Course Director. He is actively engaged in curriculum development, learner assessment, faculty development, and institutional governance through numerous leadership and committee roles. Dr. Camposeo’s scholarly interests include clinical education, assessment of struggling learners, simulation‑based training, and emergency department practice patterns.
Barbara “Bobbie” Decker, MD, MSCE, is a board-certified neurologist and adult epileptologist specializing in women’s neurological health across the reproductive lifespan. She practices at Mary Washington Healthcare, where her clinical work focuses on epilepsy management, neuromodulation, and the care of women with neurologic disorders during family planning, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. Dr. Decker earned her undergraduate degree at Duke University and received her medical degree through St. George’s University School of Medicine. She completed her neurology residency at the University of Vermont Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in epilepsy at the University of Pennsylvania. She also obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Decker’s academic and scholarly interests center on maternal neurologic outcomes, antiseizure medication safety, and clinical strategies to reduce preventable morbidity in women with epilepsy. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and collaborates nationally on research and educational initiatives aimed at advancing care for women with epilepsy and strengthening interdisciplinary models of neurologic care.
Bio and photo coming soon
Dr. Freedman is a board-certified pediatric neurologist in UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s who specializes in epilepsy. Dr Freedman received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his medical degree from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his pediatric and child neurology residencies at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he also completed a fellowship in pediatric epilepsy. He is an advocate for seizure safety and epilepsy education.
Neil Kulkarni, MD, is an attending pediatric neurologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital and an assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. A board-certified pediatric neurologist, Dr. Kulkarni completed his pediatrics and child neurology training at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Barrow Neurological Institute, and his pediatric clinical neurophysiology fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is a member of the Child Neurology Society, the American Epilepsy Society, and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. His clinical interests span the many facets of child neurology with special interest in the genetics of epilepsy and women’s health.
Dr. Li is an adult epileptologist and Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University. She specializes in epilepsy care, with research interests in the genetics of epilepsy, pregnancy outcomes in epilepsy, and precision medicine. Dr. Li is dedicated to advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy. She holds an MD&PhD degree in Neurology and Neuroscience. Her honors include recognition from the American Epilepsy Society and the American Academy of Neurology, and research support from Stanford's Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, the American Epilepsy Society, and the NIH.
Dr. Lynn Liu is Professor of Neurology and Division Chief of the Epilepsy at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She graduated from Cornell University, medical school at Georgetown University, neurology residency at Duke University, and fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology, sleep, and epilepsy at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. At the University of Rochester, she developed clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy education and earned a master's degree in health professions education. She leads educational programs with the American Epilepsy Society, American Academy of Neurology, and American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. She is the Co-Chair of the Education Committee for the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.
Dr. Sally V. Mathias received her medical degree from Father Muller Medical College in India, followed by neurology residency at University of Kentucky and a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology/ epilepsy track at Vanderbilt University. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky and serves as the Associate Program Director for neurology residency.
Dr. Mathias holds a dual appointment as a neurologist and an epileptologist at the Lexington VA Health Care System. She is currently the chief of neurology service and site director for neurology residency at the Lexington VA. She believes that Learning is Eternal, and she enjoys being a physician educator having received numerous teaching, mentorship and leadership awards.
Her clinical interests within epilepsy are women’s epilepsy, epilepsy surgery and epilepsy in the elderly.
She is also a member of several professional neurological and epilepsy organizations and is actively involved in various committees within the University of Kentucky, VA and on a national level.
Heidi Munger Clary, MD, MPH, FACNS, FAES, FANA is Associate Professor of Neurology, Epilepsy Fellowship Director, Vice Chair of Research and Director of Faculty Research Development at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She is passionate about enhancing care quality and comprehensive care for people with epilepsy, and she conducts an active research program aiming to close gaps in care for mental health in epilepsy. She is Chair of the American Academy of Neurology Epilepsy Quality Measurement Workgroup, Vice Chair of the American Neurological Association Epilepsy Special Interest Group, Associate Editor of Epilepsia Open and Contributing Editor for Epilepsy Currents. She contributed to the most recent American Academy of Neurology guideline on outcomes of in utero exposure to antiseizure medications, and she is a member of the Epilepsy in Childbearing Ages through Menopause (ECAM) consortium. She has recently completed roles as Co-Chair of the International League Against Epilepsy Integrated Mental Health Care Pathways Task Force and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society’s Resident and Fellow Education Committee.
Dr. John Muse is a neurosurgeon specializing in open and endovascular cerebrovascular surgery. He practices at Mary Washington Healthcare in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where his clinical work focuses on the treatment of complex cerebrovascular conditions including stroke, aneurysms, and vascular malformations.
Dr. Muse completed a neurosurgery residency at the University of Vermont Medical Center, followed by a specialized cerebrovascular fellowship at Lyerly Neurosurgery at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. He holds a Doctor of Medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine and an MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Management from Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management.
A particular focus of Dr. Muse's work is women's cerebrovascular health — specifically identifying sex-specific risk factors that put women at greater risk for stroke and vascular disease. He is committed to closing the gap in how cerebrovascular disorders are recognized and treated in women, and believes that physicians share a responsibility to advocate for earlier diagnosis and more equitable care.
Dr. Graig Shapiro is a graduate of New York Chiropractic College where he was inducted into the Phi Chi Omega Honor Society. Prior to Chiropractic college he attended the University at Buffalo where he graduated with honors with a degree in Exercise Science as well as a Masters degree in Nutrition Science.
Dr. Shapiro has received specialized training in Chiropractic care for athletes, and enjoys treating patients of all levels of physical activity from elite athletes to weekend warriors. In addition to being in private practice since 2012, his past experience includes working with Division 1 collegiate runners, high level Olympic lifting athletes, professional Beach Volleyball, Crossfit competitors at various competitions, treating participants of local races such as the Buffalo Subaru Chase, and 8 years experience as a personal trainer. He has also had the opportunity to work with persons of varying disabilities from cerebral palsy to amputees.
Dr. Shapiro is a certified Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) practitioner, one of only 6 in New York State and the only certified practitioner in Western New York. Along with this certification he has significant training in multiple other rehabilitation techniques including but not limited to McKenzie protocol, neurodynamics, Graston, Active release therapy, and more.
Dr. Shapiro is proud to call Buffalo home. In his free time he enjoys spending time with family and friends, exercising, and researching topics varying from sleep to nutrition and their effects on athletics.
Anumeha Sheth, MD, is an epilepsy neurologist at the Hartford HealthCare Ayer Neuroscience Institute in Hartford, CT, whose clinical and research work focuses on improving care for women with epilepsy across the reproductive lifespan. She completed her neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology/epilepsy fellowship at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where she led early quality‑improvement work on folic acid co‑prescription in epilepsy care.
Dr. Sheth began her faculty career at The George Washington University in Washington, DC (2015–2022), where she served as the Epilepsy Fellowship Program Director. During her time at GW, she received institutional funding to develop a mobile‑based tool designed to track seizure and menstrual patterns in patients of childbearing potential, which helped shape her ongoing interest in the hormonal modulation of seizures and catamenial epilepsy.
After joining Hartford HealthCare in 2022, Dr. Sheth initiated a systemwide retrospective study examining delivery outcomes in women with epilepsy and has continued developing interdisciplinary collaborations to enhance reproductive health and epilepsy care. She is working with colleagues in Obstetrics & Gynecology to create coordinated approaches for caring for pregnant women with epilepsy and to strengthen clinical pathways for hormonally influenced seizure patterns, including catamenial epilepsy.
Dr. Sheth’s clinical and research interests include catamenial epilepsy, hormonal influences on neuronal excitability, contraception counseling, pregnancy‑related epilepsy management, and menopause in epilepsy. She maintains close collaborations with family planning specialists to better integrate reproductive health into neurological care.
coming soon
Advocacy and Education Scholars
Saisruthi Kannan, B.S., OMS-3
My name is Sai Kannan and I am a 3rd year medical student from VCOM-VA campus. I graduated from George Mason University with a BS in Neuroscience. During medical school, I have been involved in American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists (ACONP), student orientation leader, and volunteering. I love to volunteer at food pantries and explore nature!
Storm Phillips, DO is a neurology resident at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in Columbus OH. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology and neuroscience at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI and her medical degree at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lillington, North Carolina. In college she completed an internship in neuropsychology and presented a poster on cognitive and emotional functioning on quality of life in brain tumor patients at the International Neuropsychological Society Conference. In medical school she was selected for a biochemistry research internship and presented a poster at the American Society of Andrology. In her 3rd year was elected to be her clinical rotation site representative and completed an international rotation in Kijabe, Kenya. During her clinical years she developed a passion for women’s health, and after being introduced to the combination of women’s health and neurology, her decision to pursue neurology was solidified.
Dr. Phillips is planning to specialize in women’s neurology and is most interested in obstetrical neurology. She has started to work alongside Dr. Maturu to develop a women’s neurology elective and strengthen the education neurology residents get on neurological conditions in women throughout their lifespan.
Shriya Singh is a third-year medical student at Georgetown University School of Medicine with plans to pursue a career in neurology. She is originally from Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland in 2023 with dual bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Psychology. In addition to her interest in neurology, she is deeply committed to patient education, advocacy, and women’s health. Outside of medical school, Shriya enjoys exploring local cafés, taking her Pomeranian for walks, practicing heated yoga, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Hannah Kate McFadden is an aspiring medical student with a deep passion for science, research, and public service. She plans to attend Canisius University, where she will study microbiology as a part of their honors college.
Beyond her academics, Hannah Kate has demonstrated an early and meaningful commitment to civic engagement. At 13 years old, she founded The Candidate Pledge, an initiative designed to promote civility, respect, and accountability in elections and government. She seeks to encourage candidates and public officials to engage in more constructive discourse so that changes in the healthcare and science field can be accomplished.
Hannah Kate’s unique combination of interests in science and government positions her at the intersection of medicine and public policy. She is motivated not only to become a physician, but also to contribute to broader conversations about healthcare, and the role of leadership in shaping government.
Avani Bhadang, MBBS, is a neurology resident at the University of Kentucky. She completed her
medical training in India, where her early clinical, research, and volunteer experiences sparked a
deep interest in neurology and patient advocacy.
Throughout her journey, Dr. Bhadang became increasingly aware of the challenges many patients
face in accessing reliable medical information and care, particularly for conditions like epilepsy that
are often misunderstood. Motivated to help close this gap, she took on a leadership role in medical
school as a regional public health representative, where she spearheaded initiatives focused on
outreach, education, and community engagement. Her work allowed her to connect with diverse
populations, with a special focus on supporting underserved women and children.
Bringing together her strengths in cultural awareness and compassionate clinical communication, Dr.
Bhadang is especially committed to addressing the stigma surrounding epilepsy. She strives to foster
open conversations, improve understanding of the condition, and promote care that is not only
evidence-based, but also empathetic, inclusive, and empowering.
Chloe Zhao is a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She completed her undergraduate at Brown University, where she majored in neuroscience and philosophy. Currently, her research interests are in women’s health, specifically in epilepsy and contraception use. She is originally from Potomac, Maryland.
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Disclaimer: Education materials on our website offer general medical information based on up-to-date evidence and, when available, practice guidelines. They are not intended for individual medical advice. Please refer to your treating physician to understand how this information may be applied to your care.
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