Congratulations to Emma Foster on her PhD completion!

Dr Emma Foster is a neurologist at Alfred Health

Congratulations to Dr Emma Foster on the completion of her PhD thesis, titled "Optimisation of first seizure management". Emma was supervised by Professors Patrick Kwan, Terry O'Brien (both in (CCS Department of Neuroscience), Professor Danny Liew and Associate Professor Zanfina Ademi (both in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine); and Dr Patrick Carney (Eastern Health Clinical School). The degree was conferred 3 June.

Emma is the first PhD completion since the Department of Neuroscience was launched in 2018, so congratulations to both Emma and the department on her successful completion!

See more:

• Follow Emma on Twitter @Dr_Emma_Foster. 
• Talking about the health economic burden of epilepsy
  

Treating epilepsy more effectively yields high individual, social and economic returns

Dr Emma Foster and A/Prof Zanfina Ademi explain how treating
epilepsy greatly reduces its health economic burden. See video

New data from Monash University reveal the enormous cost of epilepsy in Australia – costing more than 14,000 excess deaths up to age 70 years, $32.4 billion of lost gross domestic product (GDP), and $4.1 billion in direct healthcare costs. 

The researchers also showed that a 10% improvement in the treatment of seizures in patients with the disease would save the economy a staggering $1.1 billion in direct health care costs and A$7.8 billion in GDP over the working lifetime of people with epilepsy.

Congratulations to Brain Foundation winners!

L-R: Emma Foster, Pablo Casillas-Espinosa, Mujun Sun, Lin Zhang, Edrich Rodrigues

The Brain Foundation announced its grant winners on 21 October 2019. A total of 23 gifts were awarded for a total combined value of $540,000. Central Clinical School's Department of Neuroscience and Alfred Health researchers received five of those gifts, across five separate categories. Congratulations to Emma Foster, Pablo Casillas-Espinosa, Mujun Sun, Lin Zhang and Edrich Rodrigues!

Studies point to need for better scrutiny of first ever seizures

Dr Emma Foster

by Anne Crawford

To PhD candidate Dr Emma Foster researching the human brain and its mysteries poses a fascinating intellectual challenge. To Dr Foster as a clinician, it means potentially seeing first-hand patients’ lives improved by new ways of managing devastating diseases.

Dr Foster, an Epilepsy Fellow working at the Department of Neurology, Alfred Hospital, is investigating ‘first ever’ seizures; unexpected and traumatic events that can lead to emotional and financial burden on those suffering them and their families.

Dr Emma Foster on epilepsy seizures: American Academy of Neurology podcast

Dr Emma Foster

Dr Emma Foster of the Department of Neuroscience, has had her work on epilepsy seizures featured on the October issue of the American Academy of Neurology Podcast.