Viertel award to drive research on optimising care for people with new-onset or first seizures

Dr Emma Foster has been awarded a
Viertel Clinical Investigator Award

Congratulations to Dr Emma Foster, who has been awarded a Viertel Clinical Investigator Award from The Sylvia & Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation, for $90,000. 

Dr Foster is a practising neurologist at Alfred Health and an Early Career Post-doctoral Research Fellow, in the Epilepsy and Personalised Medicine (Kwan) research group in the Department of Neuroscience at the Central Clinical School. She recently completed her PhD on the Optimisation of First Seizure Management. 

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.