The Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance (Alliance) has added four new individuals to its Board of Directors

“We are thrilled to welcome these excellent additions to our Board of Directors,” said Matt Flesch, board chair of the Alliance. “While each new board member brings a unique background and varied expertise, they are all aligned around the belief that neurosurgery is often the best way to improve quality of life for children with medication-resistant epilepsy, and that the Alliance is the premier non-profit organization helping families navigate this journey.”

Taylor Abel, MD

Taylor Abel, MD, is the Chief of Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Abel is uniquely committed to kids who live with epilepsy, having had epilepsy as a child and then committing his career to helping kids with seizure disorders. He has contributed to the Alliance as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board for several years as well as participating in numerous Alliance scientific initiatives and patient-focused webinars.

“Working with the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance is meaningful for me and the services the organization provides are critical,” said Dr. Abel. “This opportunity to serve on the board aligns perfectly with my goal of serving the epilepsy community.”

Aria Fallah MD, MSc

Aria Fallah, MD, MSc, is Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at UCLA Health‘s Mattel Children’s Hospital. As a resident, Dr. Fallah cared for a two-year-old boy with tuberous sclerosis complex which fueled a career-long passion in helping people living with epilepsy. He has played a pivotal role in the Alliance by serving on its Registry Advisory Board for many years. Additionally, he has been actively involved in a wide array of scientific endeavors with the Alliance and has contributed to various patient-centered webinars.

“I want to see the epilepsy community expand its understanding and utilization of epilepsy surgery for children and the Alliance is the premier non-profit organization providing credible information for my patients and their families,” said Dr. Fallah. “I’ve dedicated my career to this, and I want to help with the ongoing expansion and delivery of the critical research, education, and patient support that the Alliance provides.”

Kaitlyn O’Connor

Kaitlyn A. O’Connor is a junior at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. At school, she has held numerous leadership positions and played a significant role in multiple fundraising activities, and also serves as a lab research assistant at Pitzer College studying mental health. Kaitlyn is also the first member of the Alliance board to have had neurosurgery to treat medication-resistant seizures and brings much needed personal experience to the board; at the age of 12, she had hemispherectomy to stop seizures caused by Rasmussen’s encephalitis.

“After surgery, I was able to attend mainstream school and go on to college with minimal support – however others will have different outcomes and need more significant support,” said O’Connor. “There are extremely nuanced experiences among individuals who are living with epilepsy and the effects of living with epilepsy surgery that can only truly be understood by having been through it. I am excited to provide the board with insight into those experiences.”

Natalie Robinson

Natalie Robinson, MBA is a healthcare administration professional with an MBA and certification in Healthcare Management from Pacific Lutheran University. She is a longtime volunteer and has held successful fundraisers for Soccer Without Borders and the The Danny Did Foundation. She brings expertise in healthcare finance, marketing and content creation, and will serve as the chair of the Alliance’s finance advisory committee.

“As someone living with epilepsy, I have firsthand experience that I plan to contribute to the success of the Alliance,” said Robinson. “I’m excited to bring my healthcare background and drive to improve the lives of people living with epilepsy to the board and to help grow the organization.”

“Our Board of Directors play a vital role in advising and steering the Alliance towards its long-term goals, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the addition of these four new members,” said Monika Jones, JD, founder and executive director of the Alliance. “I’m confident that the expansion of the board will contribute a new depth of expertise and guidance that will help us reach our vision of a world were all children have the opportunity for a high quality of life after epilepsy surgery.”

The addition of Dr. Abel, Dr. Fallah, O’Connor, and Robinson expand the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance’s Board of Directors to ten plus two emeritus members. You can view the complete list here.