Epilepsy Foundation Honors Mary Ann Brodie with the 2020 Lifetime Accelerator Award

LANDOVER, Md. – Epilepsy Foundation today announced that Mary Ann Brodie is the recipient of its 2020 Lifetime Accelerator Award, which honors commitment to new epilepsy therapies. Ms. Brodie is the executive director of the Epilepsy Study Consortium (ESC). 

“It is truly an honor to have received this prestigious recognition from such a large and well-respected organization in the epilepsy community,” said Ms. Brodie. “For years, I’ve worked with an esteemed group of colleagues in the research, advocacy and treatment community to foster innovation and get therapies to market faster. I am humbled to be joining the ranks of previous award recipients.”

Ms. Brodie is one of the founders of the ESC, a nonprofit organization which efforts for the last 13 years have accelerated the pathway to approval for new drugs and devices. Since 1992, Ms. Brodie has organized the Antiepileptic Drug and Development meeting which focuses on issues related to antiepileptic drug and device development from preclinical discoveries through clinical evaluations.

“Mary Ann is a true embodiment of an ‘accelerator’ in the field of epilepsy,” said Brandy Fureman, PhD., chief outcomes officer and vice president of Research & New Therapies at the Epilepsy Foundation. “She’s never waivered in her commitment to our community and has worked tirelessly for the past 30 years to speed new therapies to people who need them. Her ongoing contributions to epilepsy research nationally are immeasurable. It is our privilege to honor her.”

Each year, the Lifetime Accelerator Award is presented to a physician, scientist, industry leader, or other individual who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to bringing new therapies to people living with epilepsy. Lifetime Accelerator Award recipients are chosen by an independent committee of global thought leaders and clinical investigators in epilepsy and seizure therapy discovery and development.

About Epilepsy

According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by epilepsy. It is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures, which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions.

About the Epilepsy Foundation

With a network of nearly 50 partners throughout the United States, the Foundation connects people to treatment, support and resources; leads advocacy efforts; funds innovative research and the training of specialists; and educates the public about epilepsy and seizure first aid. For more than five decades, the Epilepsy Foundation has shone a light on epilepsy to promote awareness and understanding, and to advocate for laws that matter to people with epilepsy, while also funding $65 million for epilepsy research and supporting 3,076 epilepsy investigators and specialists in their early careers. Over the past 17 years, in partnership with the CDC, the Epilepsy Foundation has helped to improve access to care for people with epilepsy, expanded its digital reach and online resources in homes across the country, and trained more than 500,000 school and community personnel in how to recognize seizures and administer Seizure First Aid. The Foundation has also assisted more than 108,000 people through its 24/7 Helpline in the past five years, and continues to focus on innovation, new therapies, community services, advocacy and education as key priorities. To learn more visit epilepsy.com or call 1.800.332.1000. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.