Carl Stafstrom, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurology and pediatrics and director of the Division of Pediatric Neurology, has received the American Epilepsy Society’s 2021 Founders Award, one of the organization’s most prestigious honors.

The award was presented during the society’s 2021 annual meeting in December. Established in 1966, the award recognizes members for lifetime contributions and accomplishments regarding epilepsy. Stafstrom, who holds the Lederer Endowed Chair of Pediatric Epilepsy, has a clinical focus on pediatric neurological disorders, particularly severe childhood epilepsy and developmental epileptic encephalopathies. His research interests include the mechanisms of epileptogenesis and neuronal excitability in the developing brain, effects of seizures on cognitive function and seizure susceptibility, dietary approaches to epilepsy management and children’s self-perceptions of neurologic disorders through art.