2008 – Professor Samuel Berkovic

2008 – Professor Samuel Berkovic

Prof Samuel F. Berkovic, AM, MD, FAA, FRACP, FRS

Sam Berkovic is Laureate Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, and Director of the Epilepsy Research Centre at Austin Health, Melbourne.

Sam is a clinical neurologist and researcher, with a special interest in establishing close research links with basic scientists.

His main research interest is the genetics of epilepsy.

Together with his molecular genetic collaborators in Adelaide, he discovered the first gene for epilepsy in 1995, and has subsequently been involved in the discovery of many of the known epilepsy genes.

This has changed the conceptualisation of causes of epilepsy and is having a major impact, both on epilepsy research and on strategies for diagnosis and development of new treatments.

He has an active research programme in Israel, collaborating with Tel Aviv University, where evaluation of Jewish and Arab families with epilepsy has complemented his studies in Australia.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2007.

Sam Berkovic is Laureate Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, and Director of the Epilepsy Research Centre at Austin Health, Melbourne. Sam is a clinical neurologist and researcher, with a special interest in establishing close research links with basic scientists. His main research interest is the genetics of epilepsy. Together with his molecular genetic collaborators in Adelaide, he discovered the first gene for epilepsy in 1995, and has subsequently been involved in the discovery of many of the known epilepsy genes. This has changed the conceptualisation of causes of epilepsy and is having a major impact, both on epilepsy research and on strategies for diagnosis and development of new treatments. He has an active research programme in Israel, collaborating with Tel Aviv University, where evaluation of Jewish and Arab families with epilepsy has complemented his studies in Australia. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2007.