image: Dr. Story Landis received the AES Extraordinary Contribution Award. view more
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PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 4, 2015 -- The American Epilepsy Society (AES) announces that Story Landis, Ph.D., former director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, will receive the Extraordinary Contribution Award at the Society's 69th annual meeting in Philadelphia. The award is one the Society's highest honors presented in recognition of exceptional service and contributions to the field.
"We are privileged to honor Dr. Landis and her lifetime work," said Amy Brooks-Kayal, M.D., president of the AES Board of Directors. "Story Landis is an exceptional leader whose dedication to rigorous science, innovative strategies, transparent decision-making and strong support of her staff exemplify our mission at AES."
Landis joined the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in 1995 as Scientific Director. There, she re-engineered the Institute's intramural research program. From 2003 to 2014, she served as Director of NINDS, overseeing an annual budget of $1.6 billion that supported research in public and private institutions across the country. In 2013 and 2014, she and Tom Insel, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health, played key roles in launching the NIH BRAIN Initiative.
"Dr. Landis is commended for her commitment to informed decision making, her willingness to experiment with new ideas and creative approaches," added Brooks-Kayal. "Her smart leadership, steered NINDS very effectively and has allowed research support for epilepsy and other neurological disorders to remain strong."
Throughout her research career, Landis made fundamental contributions to the understanding of how synapses form during development and the role of proteins in the peripheral nervous system. Landis earned her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College and her Ph.D. from Harvard University, where she later served on the faculty of the Department of Neurobiology. In 1985, she joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine where she created the Department of Neurosciences, which, under her leadership, earned a national reputation for excellence. She is an elected fellow of the Institute of Medicine, the Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2002, she was elected president of the Society for Neuroscience.
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About the American Epilepsy Society:
The American Epilepsy Society is a medical and scientific society whose members are engaged in research and clinical care for people with epilepsy. For more than 75 years, AES has provided a dynamic global forum where professionals from academia, private practice, not-for-profit, government and industry can learn, share and grow. Find out more at aesnet.org.
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