About SEIZE

SEIZE is a global initiative dedicated to connecting epilepsy centers, fostering collaboration, and promoting knowledge exchange. Our mission is to advance education, support the growth of epilepsy professionals, and provide a platform for discussing challenging and rare cases worldwide.

Our Goals

Educational Seminars & Case Discussions

  • Increase awareness of epilepsy syndromes
  • Promote collaboration among health care providers across the globe
  • Encourage discussion of real-world clinical cases
  • Improve global patient outcomes

Empowering the Next Generation

  • Support mentorship and training opportunities
  • Enable international clinical exposure
  • Encourage knowledge exchange
  • Strengthen future epilepsy leaders

Members

Fatemeh Fadaie

Fatemeh Fadaie, PhD

Founder

Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Canada

Epilepsy neuroscientist

Francesco Deleo

Francesco Deleo, MD

Co-Founder

IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute “C. Besta”, Italy

Neurologist & Epileptologist

Shirin Jamal-Omidi

Shirin Jamal-Omidi, MD

Co-Founder

University of Texas Health Science Center, USA

Neurologist & Epileptologist

Giulia Battaglia

Giulia Battaglia, MD

Co-Founder

IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute “C. Besta”, Italy

Neurologist & Epileptologist

Niels Foit

Niels Foit, MD

Co-Founder

Basel University Hospital, Switzerland

Neurosurgeon & Epilepsy surgeon

Haitham Hazaimeh

Haitham Hazaimeh, MD

Digital communications manager

Jordan health ministry, Jordan

Medical intern

Collaborators

Dr. Amit Agrawal

Neurologist and Epileptologist

Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, Haryana, India

Dr. Maher Arabi

Neurologist and Epileptologist

Clare Regional Hospital, Halifax, Canada

Dr. Sophie Binks

Neurologist and Neuroimmunologist

John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK

Dr. Marco Di Cesare

Neurologist and Epileptologist

University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

Dr. Natesan Damodaran

Neurosurgeon, Clinical Lead in Epilepsy Surgery & Functional Neurosurgery

Chennai, India

Dr. Riëm El Tahry

Epileptologist, Associate Clinical Chief

Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Belgium

Dr. Neel Fotedar

Associate Professor, Neurologist and Epileptologist, Program Director (Epilepsy Fellowship)

University Hospitals Cleveland, USA

Dr. Gianluca D’Onofri

Pediatric Neurologist and Epileptologist

Greater Paris University Hospital, France

Dr. Aura Gonzalez

Neurologist and Epileptologist

Hospital Internacional de Colombia, Bucaramanga, Colombia

Dr. Kia Gilani

Neurologist and Epileptologist

Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA

Dr. Sohrab Hashemi

Neurologist and Epileptologist

Pars Hospital, Tehran, Iran

Dr. Ravish Keni

Neurologist, Head of Epilepsy Program

Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bangalore, India

Dr. Prince Kazadi

Neurologist and Epileptologist, President (ASLEK Epilepsy Association)

Democratic Republic of Congo

Dr. Prashant Makhija

Neurologist and Epileptologist

Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai, India

Dr. Jafar Mehvari

Professor of Neurology, Epileptologist, Head of Regional ILAE Section

Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Dr. Jiajie Mo

Neurosurgeon and Epilepsy Surgeon

Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, China

Dr. Sami Obaid

Clinical Assistant Professor, Neurosurgeon and Epilepsy Surgeon

University of Montreal Hospital Center, Canada

Dr. Rajeev Ojha

Neurologist

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal

Dr. Bhrugav G. Raval

Assistant Professor, Chief of Epilepsy Center, Neurologist and Epileptologist

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA

Dr. Sally Shaaban

Neurologist and Epileptologist, ILAE YES Representative

Mansoura University, Egypt

Dr. George Rudolf Tamula

Assistant Professor, Neurologist and Epileptologist

University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA

Dr. Gavin Winston

Associate Professor, Neurologist and Epileptologist

Queen’s University, Canada

Dr. Aristides Hadjinicolaou, MD, FRCPC

Pediatric Neurologist and Epileptologist, Assistant Clinical Professor

CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Canada

Dr. Mohammad Putra

Epilepsy Fellow

University of Indonesia, Indonesia

Dr. Gia Melikishvili

Pediatric Neurologist and Epileptologist

Georgia

Dr. Hoda Naghshine

Epileptologist

Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Dr. Farza Sina

Neurologist and Epileptologist

Iran University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Dr. Moksh Sethi

Consultant Neurologist and Epileptologist

Epilepsy Network Australia, Melbourne, Australia

Dr. Oraz Rahimov

Pediatric Neurosurgeon

Scientific-Clinical Center for Maternal and Child Health, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Dr. Trudy Pang, MD

Assistant Professor in Neurology, Epileptologist

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, USA

Dr. Taha Gholipour, MD

Associate Professor of Neurosciences, Neurologist and Epileptologist

UC San Diego, USA

Dr. Thaera Arafat

Epileptologist

UCL / Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UK

Dr. Juan Fernando Arias Montoya

Neurosurgeon and Epilepsy Surgeon

Bogotá, Colombia

Dr. Pedro L. Balaguera, MD

Neurologist and Epileptologist

UTHealth Houston, USA

Dr. Adi Sulistyanto, Sp.BS

Neurosurgeon, Functional Neurosurgery

RSPON, Jakarta, Indonesia

Upcoming Seminars

Upcoming

SEIZE Spotlight: Beyond Seizures: Cardiac Risk, SUDEP, and Mortality in Epilepsy

A SEIZE Spotlight Seminar focusing on cardiac risk, SUDEP, and mortality in epilepsy, bringing together experts to discuss risk factors, prevention, and clinical considerations.

Date: October 23, 2026 | Time: 10:30 AM–12:00 PM (Montreal, Canada Time) | Location: Online

10:40–11:00 AM

Reducing mortality in epilepsy

Dr. Michael Sperling, MD

11:00–11:20 AM

The epileptic heart: Clinical management recommendations

Dr. Trudy Pang, MD

11:20–11:40 AM

SUDEP risk factors, prevention, and clinical counseling

Dr. Suvasini Sharma, MD

11:40–12:00 PM

Interactive discussion & Q&A

Chair: Dr. Giulia Battaglia, MD

Register Download Program

News & Updates

Our recent SEIZE Spotlight Seminar on Polymicrogyria and Epilepsy Surgery: From Evaluation to Treatment was successfully delivered, bringing together international experts for discussion of presurgical evaluation, surgical decision-making, and advances in epilepsy surgery. We sincerely thank all speakers, moderators, and attendees for their valuable contributions.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Alessandra Burini as SEIZE’s Clinical Case Discussion Coordinator, supporting the development and coordination of clinical case discussions within the SEIZE community.

We are pleased to welcome Daniel Mandelson, MD-PhD student as SEIZE’s Grant & Funding Coordinator, supporting grant development, funding opportunities, and resource mobilization for SEIZE initiatives.

We are honored to welcome Dr. Neda Bernasconi and Dr. Andrea Bernasconi to the SEIZE Advisory Board, contributing their expertise and guidance to the continued development of the initiative.

Our inaugural SEIZE Spotlight Seminar on LGI1 Encephalitis and Epilepsy was successfully delivered with strong international participation. We sincerely thank all speakers, moderators, and attendees for their valuable contributions, reflecting the collaborative spirit of the SEIZE community.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Haitham Hazaimeh as SEIZE’s Communications and Outreach Manager, supporting global engagement and outreach across the epilepsy community.

SEIZE has officially launched its international research program focused on clinical epilepsy research, public health research, and collaborative global neurology initiatives. We are actively seeking motivated medical students, residents, fellows, and graduate students interested in participating in international collaborative projects. Individuals interested in joining our research activities are encouraged to contact us: fatemeh.fadaie@mcgill.ca

Request Case Support

If you would like to submit a challenging epilepsy case for discussion, click the button below. We will review the request and follow up with you.

Submit Case

Contact Us

General contact: initiative.seize@gmail.com

Lead contact: fatemeh.fadaie@mcgill.ca