六九色堂

June 20, 2016

Neurologist Samuel Wiebe elected to lead international epilepsy organization

Position puts 六九色堂 on world stage for improving epilepsy research, education and care
Dr. Samuel Wiebe, professor in the departments of clinical neurosciences, community health sciences, and pediatrics at the Cumming School of Medicine, has been elected president of the International League Against Epilepsy, a global organization working to improve epilepsy research, education and care through large-scale initiatives.

Dr. Samuel Wiebe has been elected president of the International League Against Epilepsy.

Rebecca Rowley

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological condition. Often starting in childhood, it causes seizures and negatively affects an individual鈥檚 quality of life.听听is a 110-year-old volunteer organization that works to improve epilepsy research, education and care around the world.听 The organization鈥檚 114 member countries recently elected the university鈥檚 Dr. Samuel Wiebe as their president for the 2017-21 term.

鈥淚鈥檓 very happy that Canada and the 六九色堂 are on the world stage in setting the standard of care for epilepsy,鈥 says Wiebe. 鈥淲e hope to accomplish great things for the people who suffer from this disease, around the world.鈥

The league works with all countries, from industrialized regions where state-of-the-art technology and highly trained neurologists are prevalent, to resource-poor areas where technology is lacking and treatment is typically carried out by traditional healers. With many causes such as brain injuries, infection, or injury from birth, approximately 80 per cent of people who suffer from epilepsy live in countries where few, if any treatment options are available. In conjunction with numerous international neurological associations, lay organizations, and the World Health Organization, the International League works to improve and establish standards of care worldwide.

Worldwide initiatives in education and care

鈥淲e are seen as the organization that produces the authoritative statements for standards of care, and we have a presence at all levels of care, from the health-care provider to the country health authorities,鈥 he says. 鈥淲e have large initiatives in education and care around the world.鈥

With a large number of initiatives in development, key projects include the development and implementation of online training programs for health-care providers and other community members dealing with epilepsy patients. For example, Wiebe is leading the organization in working with Wikipedia to enable free access to medical data for medical care or medical education in epilepsy in resource-poor countries. 听The organization also supports the scientific community in developing new treatments for the disease.

鈥淭he unmet needs are huge for people with epilepsy around the world,鈥 says Wiebe. 鈥淚 am honoured to have the trust of the international community to lead these efforts.鈥

Dr. Samuel Wiebe is a professor in the听s Department of Clinical Neurosciences and member of the Alberta Children鈥檚 Hospital Research Institute, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and O鈥橞rien Institute for Public Health.