Team Members

Dr. Nathalie Jetté is an Assistant Professor in Neurology at the University of Calgary with joint appointments in the Departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Community Health Sciences. Dr. Jetté came to the University of Calgary in 2005 from Columbia University in New York City where she was a Clinical Fellow in epilepsy and neurophysiology (2003-2005). Before that, Dr. Jetté completed a Bachelor's Degree in Biology (1989-1993) and a Master's Degree in Neurosciences (1994-1995) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She attended medical school (1994-1998) and completed her neurology residency training at the University of Ottawa (1998-2003). As part of her health services research program, she is studying: (1) appropriateness of care in epilepsy; (2) health resource use in epilepsy; (3) comorbidities of epilepsy; and (4) she is working on the development of a future national epilepsy surveillance program. Dr. Jetté receives salary support from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and grant support from CIHR, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the American Epilepsy Society and the Milken Family Foundation.

Dr. Jorge Burneo received his MD from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú in 1996. He completed a neurology residency at Henry Ford Health Systems in Detroit, Michigan followed by a fellowship in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology in the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with special training in structural and functional Neuroimaging (MRI, SPECT, PET, MRS), as well as in Magnetoencephalography. He later received a Masters of Science in Public Health specializing in Epidemiology from the same institution. His research in Alabama was on the use of different functional Neuroimaging techniques in the pre-surgical evaluation of patients with intractable epilepsy, with emphasis in the temporal lobe and the malformations of cortical development. As part of his training in epidemiology, he also studied the differences in access across ethnic groups as well as outcomes following epilepsy surgery. Dr. Burneo is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences at the University of Western Ontario and has a cross appointment with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Epilepsy Society, the Epilepsy Foundation, and the Canadian League Against Epilepsy. Dr. Burneo's main research interests are in the field of functional neuroimaging and epidemiology. Current projects include the use of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Epidemiology of the Epilepsies, and Evidence Based Neurology.

Dr. Faris leads an Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute analysis team whose work is critical for continuously improving bone and joint health care. The team utilizes data collected across continuums of patient care and compiles this information into Benchmarking reports that are released at regular time intervals. These reports compare results from a provider to benchmarks – or desired levels of performance – in critical areas such as patient outcomes, efficiency, acceptability and appropriateness of care, cost effectiveness, and safety. The reports can identify where performance needs to be addressed and where performance is meeting or exceeding benchmarks. These anonymous and confidential reports are provided to clinicians and administrators. Peter has consulted as a biostatistician and methodologist on hundreds of research projects across areas of care ranging from cancer and cardiology to musculoskeletal care.

Dr. Walter Hader is a neurosurgeon with Alberta Health Services and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary. Dr. Hader received his undergraduate degree from Mercyhurst College, Pennsylvania, in 1987. In 1994, he moved to the University of Saskatchewan to complete his medical degree. Before moving to Calgary, Dr. Hader obtained his residency at the University of British Columbia (2000), and his fellowship from the University of Toronto in 2001. Dr. Hader's research currently focuses on the determinants of health in children with hydrocephalus, the surgical treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy in the intra-operative MR setting, and neuropsychological and visual consequences of selective amygdalo-hippocampectomies versus standard temporal lobectomies for intractable epilepsy. Clinically, Dr. Hader specializes in epilepsy and paediatric neurosurgery.

Dr. Hamiwka is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She is a Pediatric Neurologist with expertise in Pediatric Surgical Epilepsy and Refractory Epilepsy. She is also a trained Pediatric Clinical Neurophysiologist. Dr. Hamiwka has significant interested in research in children with epilepsy. She has published extensively in the co-morbidities associated with childhood epilepsy. She has also published studies evaluating outcomes in epilepsy surgery.

Dr. Andrew Kirk MD, FRCPC is Professor and Head of Neurology at the University of Saskatchewan where he has worked since 1991. His medical education was at the University of Western Ontario where he also completed his neurology residency after studying internal medicine for 2 years at the University of Toronto. Post-residency, he did research fellowships in cognitive neurology for three years at the University of Florida and the University of Western Ontario. His research and clinical interests include dementia, multiple sclerosis, and cognitive problems resulting from stroke. His major current research initiative is as part of a CIHR-funded team that has established a Rural and Remote Memory Clinic using Telehealth technology. For six years he served as a member of the board of the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan and is a Past-President of the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation and the Canadian Neurological Society. He's a published writer of fiction and has recently finished writing his first novel. In his spare time, he's been active in Toastmasters International, where, in 2001-2002 he served as District Governor for District 42 (Saskatchewan and Alberta).

Dr. Sophie Macrodimitris is a Registered Psychologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Faculties of Medicine and Social Sciences at the University of Calgary. She runs the Clinical Psychology Service in the Calgary Epilepsy Programme (CEP). Dr. Macrodimitris also leads the CEP's Seizure Monitoring Unit (SMU) Quality Improvement Team. Dr. Macrodimitris obtained her Master's and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology, specializing in Health Psychology/Behavioural Medicine, from York University in Toronto, Ontario. She has extensive training and experience in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and co-developed an effective group CBT program for anxiety and depression that has been adapted for epilepsy patients.

Dr. Hude Quan is an associate professor and health services researcher in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. His research focuses on methodological issues in health services research and applied health services research in quality of care and surveillance. Dr Quan's methodological research focuses on understanding health information collection methods, determining whether the data are valid and able to address the research and policy questions of interest, and generating a valid method of analysis. Dr. Quan has published over 100 papers in peer reviewed journals and holds several national research grants in these areas.

Dr. Sherman is a pediatric neuropscyhologist at the Alberta Children's Hospital. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Neuropyschology from the University of Victoria in 1997. Dr. Sherman's clinical work primarily involves inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological assessment of children and adolescents with seizure disorders and other neurological diagnoses. Her current research focuses on neuropsychological functioning, imaging (DTI and hippocampal volumetrics), quality of life and social-emotional outcomes after pediatric epilepsy surgery, and ADHD and executive disorders in children with epilepsy.

Dr. Jose Tellez-Zenteno received his medical degree from the National University of Mexico in 1996. He then completed a four year residency program in internal medicine and a three year residency program in neurology at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition in Mexico City. During this time he also received a PhD in clinical epidemiology from the National University of Mexico. In 2003, Dr Tellez-Zenteno moved to Canada where he completed two clinical fellowships in epilepsy EEG, first with the epilepsy program at the London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario and then with the epilepsy program at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta. Currently Dr. Tellez-Zenteno is an associate professor in neurology at the University of Saskatchewan, the medical director of the Saskatchewan Epilepsy Program and the Chair of the Mudjadik Thyssen Mining Professorship in Neurosciences. He has received numerous awards including the Louis Pasteur and Gustavo Baz award from the National University of Mexico, the Mary Ann Lee Cedar award for the best fellows paper from the Canadian League Against Epilepsy and the Bruce S. Schoenberg International Award in Neuroepidemiology from the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Tellez-Zenteno has published 80 peer-reviewed papers and 93 abstracts.

Dr. Samuel Wiebe is a Professor and Head Division of Neurology in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary in Canada and Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Programme, as well as the Clinical Research Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute in Calgary, Canada. His areas of academic interest include surgical trials in epilepsy, epidemiological studies, outcome assessment, and economic analyses. Dr Wiebe currently chairs the International League Against Epilepsy North American Region Commission on Epilepsy and has recently been elected Secretary-General of the International League Against Epilepsy. Dr Wiebe is also the Kinsmen Chair for Paediatric Neurosciences.

Dr. Elaine Wirrell is a Professor of Child and Adolescent Neurology and Director of Pediatric Epilepsy at Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with her MD and completed a residency in Pediatrics and Fellowship in Child Neurology at Dalhousie University. Her research interests include epidemiology and co-morbidity of pediatric epilepsy. She has over 70 peer-reviewed publications, most in the area of pediatric epilepsy, and has authored several book chapters.

Dr. William Ghali, MD, MPH, is a Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. He is holder of a Government of Canada Research Chair in Health Services Research and a Senior Health Scholar Award from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Clinically, he is trained as a General Internist (MD [‘90] - University of Calgary, FRCP(C) [‘94] - Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario), while his methodological training in health services research and epidemiology was obtained in the Health Research Unit at Boston University, where he also completed a Masters of Public Health Degree (MPH [‘95]). Dr. Ghali’s research program is in the general area of health services research with a focus on for four inter-related high incidence and prevalence conditions -- cardiac disease, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and venous thromboembolic disease. He is one of the leaders of the Medical Ward of the 21st Century Initiative (www.w21c.org).

Dr. Samuel Wiebe is a Professor and Head Division of Neurology in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary in Canada and Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Programme, as well as the Clinical Research Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute in Calgary, Canada. His areas of academic interest include surgical trials in epilepsy, epidemiological studies, outcome assessment, and economic analyses. Dr Wiebe currently chairs the International League Against Epilepsy North American Region Commission on Epilepsy and has recently been elected Secretary-General of the International League Against Epilepsy. Dr Wiebe is also the Kinsmen Chair for Paediatric Neurosciences.

Dr. Frederick Andermann was awarded his Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University in 1952 and his M.D., magna cum laude from the Université de Montreal in 1957. Dr. Andermann has long held the position of Chief of the Epilepsy Service and Clinic, Associate Electroencephalographer at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital. He is past President of the Canadian Neurological Society; the Canadian League Against Epilepsy; the Canadian Society of EEF, EMG, and Clinical Neurophysiology; the Eastern Association of Electroencephalographers; the Association des Neurologues et des Neuropsychiatres de la Provence du Quebec; the Board of Examiners in Neurology, Quebec; the Canadian Association for Child Neurology; and has held many other Directorships, Liaison or Advisory positions. He is currently 1st Vice President of the International League Against Epilepsy. He has served as member of the Editorial Boards of seven major journals. Dr. Andermann’s major honors include the Epilepsy Research Award of the AES and Milken Family Foundation (1999; the William G. Lennox Award of the AES, the Prix du Quebec—Wilder Penfield Award (2003); the Ross Award, Canadian Pediatric Society (2004); the Order of Canada (2006); the Peter Emil Becker Prize (2007); Honorary Membership, Polish Epilepsy Society (2003); and Corresponding Membership, Swiss Epilepsy Society (2005). Dr. Andermann has published nearly 500 original papers, reviews, chapters, and letters, 105 of which have been cited more than 50 times, and 45 of which have been cited more than 100 times.

Dr. Jorge Burneo received his MD from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú in 1996. He completed a neurology residency at Henry Ford Health Systems in Detroit, Michigan followed by a fellowship in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology in the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with special training in structural and functional Neuroimaging (MRI, SPECT, PET, MRS), as well as in Magnetoencephalography. He later received a Masters of Science in Public Health specializing in Epidemiology from the same institution. His research in Alabama was on the use of different functional Neuroimaging techniques in the pre-surgical evaluation of patients with intractable epilepsy, with emphasis in the temporal lobe and the malformations of cortical development. As part of his training in epidemiology, he also studied the differences in access across ethnic groups as well as outcomes following epilepsy surgery. Dr. Burneo is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences at the University of Western Ontario and has a cross appointment with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Epilepsy Society, the Epilepsy Foundation, and the Canadian League Against Epilepsy. Dr. Burneo’s main research interests are in the field of functional neuroimaging and epidemiology. Current projects include the use of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Epidemiology of the Epilepsies, and Evidence Based Neurology.

Dr. Camfield is a Pediatric Neurologist and Professor of Pediatrics at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He received his B.Sc from Queen’s University in 1966 and his MD from Harvard University in 1970. Dr. Camfield completed his pediatric residency at the University of Michigan and his neurology residency at McGill University. To date he has published over 190 peer-reviewed articles and 51 book chapters. In his spare time Dr Camfield enjoys sailing, canoeing, jogging, skiing, cycling, orienteering, travel, and spending time with his grandson.

Dr. Lionel Carmant received his medical degree from the Université de Sherbrooke in 1982, where he also completed residency training programs in pediatrics and neurology. He went on to complete two fellowships at the Children’s Hospital (Boston) in pediatric epilepsy clinical research and basic science. Dr. Carmant is currently an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Université de Montréal, the director of the Research Group on Epilepsy at the CHU Ste-Justine Research Centre, and the director of the Epilepsy Clinic for the Neurology Service at CHU Ste-Justine. He has served as the president of the Canadian League Against Epilepsy since June 2006. Dr Carmant has published over 85 peer-reviewed publications and is a member of the editorial boards for the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences and Epilepsia.

Dr. Jeptha Davenport recently joined the Department of Clinical Neurosciences of the University of Calgary along with his wife, Dr. Tamara Pringsheim. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, with a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and neurosciences preceding his medical degree. He completed his neurology residency at McGill University in Montreal. He then took up a postdoctoral research fellowship in the area of neurophysiology and pain in the Department of Physiology at the University of Toronto before entering practice as a general adult neurologist. Dr. Davenport has an interest in the molecular basis of neurological disease, with a focus on the clinical treatment of multiple sclerosis and of pain, headache in particular.

Dr. Jean Pierre Farmer graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Science, Honours in Neuro-physiology in 1979 and a Medical Degree in 1983. Following surgical internship at the Montreal General Hospital, he did his post-graduate training in Neurosurgery at McGill from 1984-89. He obtained his fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery from New York University in 1990. Dr. Farmer was appointed Assistant Professor of Neurology/Neurosurgery at McGill in 1990 working predominantly at the Children’s, the Neurological and the Shriners’ Hospitals. He has been significantly involved in residency education as Neurosurgery Program Director for 5 years as well as serving as Vice-Chair on the Examination Boards of both the Collège des Médecins and of the Royal College for 8 years. Since 2002, Dr Farmer has been a full professor in the Department of Neurology/Neurosurgery and Oncology. In 2007, he was appointed Chief of a newly created Department of Pediatric Surgery at the McGill University Health Center, Professor in the Department of Surgery and inaugural chair holder of the Dorothy Williams Chair in Pediatric Surgery. Dr Farmer has authored over 100 scientific articles and book chapters notably in the fields of brainstem tumours, intra-medullary spinal cord tumours, epilepsy surgery, syringomyelia, myelodysplasia and the surgical management of childhood spasticity. Dr. Farmer is a member of the American Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery and the Society of Neurological Surgeons, and the director of the American Board of Pediatric Neurosurgery. He is married to Sylvie Girard, criminologist and they have 2 daughters, Audrey-Laurence and Catherine.

Dr Gross is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Neurology at the University of Alberta. His primary clinical and research interests are in epilepsy. Some of Dr. Gross’ current projects involve studying neuroimaging in epilepsy, source localization of epileptic loci, and the prevalence of marijuana use by people with epilepsy.

Dr. Walter Hader is a neurosurgeon with Alberta Health Services and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary. Dr. Hader received his undergraduate degree from Mercyhurst College, Pennsylvania, in 1987. In 1994, he moved to the University of Saskatchewan to complete his medical degree. Before moving to Calgary, Dr. Hader obtained his residency at the University of British Columbia (2000), and his fellowship from the University of Toronto in 2001. Dr. Hader’s research currently focuses on the determinants of health in children with hydrocephalus, the surgical treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy in the intra-operative MR setting, and neuropsychological and visual consequences of selective amygdalo-hippocampectomies versus standard temporal lobectomies for intractable epilepsy. Clinically, Dr. Hader specializes in epilepsy and paediatric neurosurgery.

Dr. Richard Huntsman completed his medical degree and general pediatrics residency at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and a fellowship in pediatric neurology at the University of Alberta. Upon completion of his training, he joined the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Saskatchewan where he practices as a general Pediatric Neurologist. Even though his practice encompasses the entire spectrum of pediatric neurology, epilepsy makes up a large portion of his practice. His areas of clinical interest are neurometabolic and neurodegenerative disorders of childhood, in particular Cree Leukodystrophy and Coenzyme Q10 deficiency. Recent publications include the first reported case of Infantile Spasms due to Coenzyme Q10 deficiency and an academic review of non-epileptic motor phenomena in neonates.

Dr. Mark Sadler is a Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  He graduated from Dalhousie Medical School and his post graduate training in neurology and epilepsy-EEG was done at Dalhousie and the University of Western Ontario.  He is currently the co-director of the Epilepsy Program at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.  His major professional interests are in adult clinical epilepsy, EEG, and the evaluation of patients for epilepsy surgery.

Dr. O. Carter Snead III received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1966 and a Doctor of Medicine in 1970, both from the University of West Virginia School of Medicine. Subsequently, he trained in Pediatrics at Duke University Medical Centre 1970 - 72, Child Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine 1972-75, and served in the United States Air Force at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, as a pediatric neurologist at the USAF Medical Center 1975-77.  In 1977, he assumed his first academic position in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, and in 1989 he became Head of the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Neurology, and Vice-Chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Southern California School of Medicine.  In 1996 Dr. Snead moved to Toronto, Canada, to be Head of the Division of Neurology at The Hospital for Sick Children. In 2006 Dr. Snead began the SickKids Centre for Brain & Behaviour – a virtual assembly of the areas within Pediatric Neurosciences – the core business of which is to advance the integration of research, clinical care, education, and outreach to improve the health, quality of life, and wellbeing of children everywhere with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle.  Dr. Snead’s clinical research focus is on magnetic source imaging in pediatric epilepsy surgery and basic research focus is on basic mechanisms of absence epilepsy; the search for animal models of refractory pediatric epilepsies; and molecular biology of the GABAB receptor.

Dr. David Steven received his Bachelor of Science at the University of Manitoba in 1992. After completing his MD at the University of Manitoba in 1996, Dr. Steven completed his residency in neurosurgery at the University of Western Ontario. During his residency, Dr. Steven obtained his Master's of Public Health with a concentration in biostatistics at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Following residency, Dr. Steven completed a clinical fellowship in epilepsy surgery at the Montréal Neurological Hospital and Institute.  Since 2003, Dr. Steven has been an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Western Ontario. He devotes most of his clinical practice to the surgical treatment of epilepsy and has published several articles and book chapters on this subject. Dr. Steven is a member of the Canadian Neurosurgical Society, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Canadian League Against Epilepsy, and the American Epilepsy Society. He is a Fellow of the Royal
College of Surgeons of Canada and the American College of Surgeons and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Wheatley obtained a BSc in Neuroscience from the University of Alberta in 1984. Following this he obtained both a MD and PhD from the University of Alberta. Dr. Wheatley then completed a residency in Neurosurgery at the University of Alberta and become a fellow of the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada in Neurosurgery (2001). Dr. Wheatley also has completed a epilepsy / functional neurosurgical fellowship at the Montreal Neurological Institute. He is currently the Co-Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and the Director of Neuromodulation Program. Dr. Wheatley has a strong clinical interest in epilepsy, movement disorders and neurooncology. Dr. Wheatley's basic science interest focus on the utilization of stem cells in neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of neurosurgery, Dr. Wheatley has interests in competitive cycling and golfing.

Ms. Taryn Fay obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Victoria where she majored in Psychology and a Master of Science degree from the University of Auckland in New Zealand with a focus in Pediatric Neuropsychology.  Taryn is currently completing the requirements for a PhD in Clinical Child Psychology from Ohio State University.  She has just completed a one-year pre-doctoral residency in pediatric and child clinical psychology at the Alberta Children’s Hospital which included training on the assessment of children evaluated for epilepsy surgery.  Her research interests include outcomes after mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury in children.

Dr. Lizbeth Hernandez-Ronquillo received her medical degree from the National University of Mexico in 1996.  Between 1996 and 2003 she completed two residency training programs, one in pediatrics at the National Institute of Pediatrics and the second in neonatology at the National Institute of Perinatology, both in Mexico City. During this time she also completed a Masters degree in clinical epidemiology. In 2004, she performed a fellowship in neonatology at the University of Western Ontario.  Currently Dr Hernandez-Ronquillo works with Dr. Jose Tellez-Zenteno developing clinical research projects for the Saskatchewan Epilepsy Program.

Dr. Churl-Su Kwon was born in Scotland, but has lived in England most of his life.   He is currently working on a Masters of Public Health degree at Harvard University.  Prior to beginning his MPH program, he worked as a research fellow in the epilepsy program at the University of Calgary under the supervision of Dr. Nathalie Jetté and was enrolled in a surgical residency program at University College in London, England.  His ultimate goal is to become an epilepsy neurosurgeon. 

Ms. Jane McChesney has been working as an epilepsy research assistant with Dr. Nathalie Jetté since January 2008. She is currently completing her BSc degree in Nursing at the University of Calgary with a focus in Pediatrics.  Jane has volunteered with the Calgary Counseling Centre, as a student ambassador with Kids Help Phone, and is currently involved in pediatric respite care. Recently, Jane was awarded third place among Canadian nursing students for the Canadian Nurses Association centennial essay contest.

Ms. Amy Metcalfe received her B.Sc from the University of Guelph in 2004 and her MSc from the University of Saskatchewan in 2007.  She is currently a PhD student in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary and has been working as a research assistant for Dr. Nathalie Jetté in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences since August 2007.