For the Media:

Columbia University Public Health Expert Elected to National Epilepsy Foundation Advisory Board

Washington, D.C., December 13, 2005 -- At its annual meeting, the Epilepsy Foundation professional advisory board elected Dale C. Hesdorffer, Ph.D., an expert in the epidemiology of epilepsy and its impact on individuals and society, as a member of the national advisory group. Dr. Hesdorffer is an assistant professor of epidemiology in the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

The Epilepsy Foundation's professional advisory board is comprised of leading experts in the scientific, medical and social aspects of epilepsy. Its members advise the national organization on a broad range of advocacy issues, educational programs and special projects. The board also provides professional peer review of applications for the Foundation's extensive annual research grant and fellowship program.

Epilepsy, which affects nearly three million people in the United States, is the most common neurological condition in children and the third most common in adults. There are many forms of epilepsy and many available therapies, but none of them are cures. The condition can strike anyone at any age, and with today's aging population it is a growing problem in the elderly.

The Epilepsy Foundation (http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org), a national, charitable organization, founded in 1968, is dedicated to supporting children and adults affected by seizures through research, education, advocacy and service. The national office, in Landover, Md., supports nearly 60 affiliated Epilepsy Foundations throughout the nation, including the Epilepsy Foundations of Greater New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Long Island.

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