For the Media:

Head of Rush University Epilepsy Program Elected to National Epilepsy Foundation Advisory Board

Washington, D.C., December 19, 2005 -- At its annual meeting Sunday, Dec.4, the Epilepsy Foundation professional advisory board elected Michael C. Smith, M.D., an expert on the medical and surgical treatment of epilepsy, as a member of the national advisory group. Smith is director of the Rush Epilepsy Center and an associate professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University School of Medicine.

The Epilepsy Foundation's professional advisory board is comprised of leading experts in the scientific, medical and social aspects of epilepsy. Its members advise the national organization on a broad range of advocacy issues, educational programs and special projects. The board also provides professional peer review of applications for the Foundation's extensive annual research grant and fellowship program.

Epilepsy, which affects nearly three million people in the United States, is the most common neurological condition in children and the third most common in adults. There are many forms of epilepsy and many available therapies, but none of them are cures. The condition can strike anyone at any age, and with today's aging population it is a growing problem in the elderly.

The Epilepsy Foundation (www.epilepsyfoundation.org), a national, charitable organization, founded in 1968, is dedicated to supporting children and adults affected by seizures through research, education, advocacy and service. The national office, in Landover, MD, supports nearly 60 affiliated Epilepsy Foundations throughout the nation, including the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago.

###