2026 Asian SEEG Course

Aileen McGonigal is Honorary Professor at the Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland and leads the Epilepsy, Rhythms and Behaviour Research Group. She holds a clinical appointment as Director of Epilepsy Unit, at the Mater Hospital, Brisbane.

Aileen’s clinical research aims to improve patient care through better understanding of epilepsy, particularly for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who may benefit from surgical intervention. She studies seizures recorded using video and brain electrical activity (EEG, SEEG) and investigates how behaviours relate to brain rhythms. Aileen is also interested in neuropsychiatric aspects of epilepsy, including anxiety and depression.

Aileen chairs the Special Interest Group on SEEG of the American Epilepsy Society (2019-22) and is regularly invited to speak at international conferences. She helps define standards of care in epilepsy through her role in the Task Force on Epilepsy Surgery Networks of the Surgical Therapies Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) (2022-2026), and previously, the ILAE Task Force on Depression within the Neuropsychiatry Commission (2014-2018). She is a member of the Scientific Committee of the French Society of Clinical Neurophysiology and Associate Editor of the English-language journal Neurophysiologie Clinique /Clinical Neurophysiology (Elsevier, 2021 Impact Factor 3.7). She is also a member of the Australian, British, and French chapters of the ILAE.

Aileen studied medicine at the University of Glasgow, UK and undertook neurology and EEG training in the UK. She subsequently worked as a consultant neurologist and epileptologist in Marseille, France at the Timone Hospital as well the Centre St Paul (Henri Gastaut Hospital). She belonged to the Institut de Neurosciences de Systèmes, INSERM & Aix-Marseille University, until moving to Mater Research in 2022.

Dr. Gonzalez-Martinez is a board-certified neurosurgeon subspecialized in epilepsy and functional neurosurgery. He is the Director of Epilepsy and Movement Disorders Surgery, Co-Director of the Epilepsy Center, and Director of the Cortical Systems Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Gonzalez is a world-renowned surgeon who has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to epilepsy surgery and methods of brain mapping for patients with medically intractable epilepsy and movement disorders. He has been serving the American Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery as a member of the executive committee for the past six years, developing highly relevant projects and topics related to the field of functional neurosurgery and epilepsy.

Dr. Gonzalez is a medical pioneer in novel surgical methods for treating medically refractory seizures, such as stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG), SEEG-guided laser ablative procedures, neuromodulatory interventions, and robotic-guided surgeries. He has introduced innovative surgical approaches for the first time in the United States and other countries. His particular field of interest and academic focus relate to neuro-electrophysiology, intracranial signal processing, and behavioral neuroscience.

Combined, his clinical and basic science efforts have guided his academic and clinical pathway toward safer and more efficient treatments for patients with severe seizures and movement disorders. His work promotes symptom improvement alongside better functional outcomes and overall quality of life.

After completing his medical and scientific training inNeurology and Neuroscience, Dr. Patrick Chauvel became a researcher at INSERM(Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) in Paris (1975).There, he began his pioneering work in experimental and clinical research onthe mechanisms of epilepsy. Under the mentorship of Talairach and Bancaud atHôpital Sainte-Anne/Université René Descartes in Paris, he advancedstereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) as a presurgical method using intracerebralelectrodes for epilepsy surgery (1975–1990). His research has focused on thepathophysiology of the epileptogenic zone, the emergence of seizure semiology,and human cerebral cortex physiology. Notably, he championed the concept of anepileptogenic network, moving beyond the classical "epileptic focus"model, and pioneered new insights into markers of the epileptogenic zone andfocal epilepsy semiology.  

Succeeding Jean Bancaud, Dr. Chauvel served as Director ofthe SEEG Unit at Hôpital Sainte-Anne (1986–1990), then as Professor andChairman of Neurology in Rennes (1990–1997), where he established an innovativeEpilepsy Unit integrating clinical care and research. Later, he becameProfessor and Chairman of Clinical Neurophysiology and Director of the INSERMInstitute of Systems Neuroscience in Marseille (1997–2014). In 2014, he joinedthe Cleveland Clinic’s Epilepsy Center to advance SEEG-based presurgical evaluationin North America, while also serving as Professor of Neurology at the ClevelandClinic Lerner College of Medicine (Case Western Reserve University).Additionally, as an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland(Brisbane), he guided the development of SEEG-based epilepsy surgery andresearch programs. He later held appointments as Professor of Neurology at theUniversity of Pittsburgh and Neurologist at UPMC.  

Currently, Dr. Chauvel is a researcher at the ClevelandClinic Epilepsy Center, where he is developing novel SEEG-based methods forpresurgical evaluation of drug-resistant epilepsy and researching biomarkers ofthe epileptogenic zone and the neural mechanisms underlying seizuresemiology.  

He is a Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgiumin recognition of his contributions to the field.  

Aileen McGonigal is Honorary Professor at the Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland and leads the Epilepsy, Rhythms and Behaviour Research Group. She holds a clinical appointment as Director of Epilepsy Unit, at the Mater Hospital, Brisbane.

Aileen’s clinical research aims to improve patient care through better understanding of epilepsy, particularly for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who may benefit from surgical intervention. She studies seizures recorded using video and brain electrical activity (EEG, SEEG) and investigates how behaviours relate to brain rhythms. Aileen is also interested in neuropsychiatric aspects of epilepsy, including anxiety and depression.

Aileen chairs the Special Interest Group on SEEG of the American Epilepsy Society (2019-22) and is regularly invited to speak at international conferences. She helps define standards of care in epilepsy through her role in the Task Force on Epilepsy Surgery Networks of the Surgical Therapies Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) (2022-2026), and previously, the ILAE Task Force on Depression within the Neuropsychiatry Commission (2014-2018). She is a member of the Scientific Committee of the French Society of Clinical Neurophysiology and Associate Editor of the English-language journal Neurophysiologie Clinique /Clinical Neurophysiology (Elsevier, 2021 Impact Factor 3.7). She is also a member of the Australian, British, and French chapters of the ILAE.

Aileen studied medicine at the University of Glasgow, UK and undertook neurology and EEG training in the UK. She subsequently worked as a consultant neurologist and epileptologist in Marseille, France at the Timone Hospital as well the Centre St Paul (Henri Gastaut Hospital). She belonged to the Institut de Neurosciences de Systèmes, INSERM & Aix-Marseille University, until moving to Mater Research in 2022.

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Dr. Nica is a Neurologist and Neurophysiologist at Rennes University Hospital in France. After completing an internship in neuropediatrics then adult neurology in Bucharest and Rennes, Dr. Nica has been working as a neurologist and neurophysiologist for over 20 years at the University Hospital of Rennes, in the Epileptology Unit of which she became medical director. Her field of expertise is drug-resistant epilepsy surgery, more specifically ictal semiology and intracerebral electrophysiology. She is actively involved in training and teaching in epileptology, particularly in the field of EEG-video and SEEG, in France and abroad. In 2022-2023, she helped train the team and launch the adult SEEG program at the Rothschild Ophthalmological Foundation in Paris. She is a permanent member of the INSERM U1099 Unit of the Rennes Signal and Image Processing Laboratory, CinetyKs team, and as such participates in epileptology research, particularly in the field of EEG and SEEG signal analysis.

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Associate Professor Andrew Neal, MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP, PhD is a consultant neurologist, epileptologist and clinical research fellow. He is the Director of Epilepsy at Alfred Health. He is an Associate Professor of Epileptology within the Department of Neuroscience, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University. Additionally, Andrew is a honorary research fellow of Melbourne University. Andrew completed neurology training and an epilepsy fellowship at RMH/SVHM.

He completed a PhD (RMH/Melbourne University) in 2018 examining clinical and molecular factors associated with tumour associated epilepsy. During his PhD, Andrew designed and commenced two multi-centre, international phase II RCTs which examine targeted treatment for glioma associated epilepsy (PEGASUS). He is the chief investigator of these trials.

In 2018 Andrew completed a 12 month stereo-EEG fellowship in Lyon, France where he gained expertise in SEEG and quantitative techniques for SEEG signal analysis. He is now leading the SEEG program at Alfred Health and founded a multi-site SEEG Clinical-research program. Andrew is currently supervising PhD candidates, Honours students and junior doctors undertaking SEEG and epilepsy surgery based projects.

His major research interests are brain tumour associated epilepsy, stereo electro-encephalography and epilepsy surgery.

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Dr. Chong Wong completed his undergraduate medical training at the University ofSydney. He completed his neurology training in Australia and epilepsyfellowship in Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. He has a PhD in the neuroimaging ofpatients with intractable epilepsy. He is Head of Neurology and Director ofComprehensive Epilepsy Centre at Westmead Hospital. He has a special interestin stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) for the presurgical evaluation ofintractable focal epilepsy. Dr Chong Wong participates in ANZAN and ASEPAEpilepsy and EEG teaching courses and international SEEG training courses

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Dr. Gonzalez-Martinez is a board-certified neurosurgeon subspecialized in epilepsy and functional neurosurgery. He is the director of the epilepsy and movement disorders surgery, Co-Director of the Epilepsy Center and Director of the Cortical Systems Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Dr. Gonzalez is a world-renowned surgeon who have published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to epilepsy surgery and methods of brain mapping for patients with medically intractable epilepsy and movement disorders. He has been serving the American Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery in the capacity of member of the executive committee for the last 6 years, developing high relevant projects and topics related to the field of functional neurosurgery and epilepsy.Dr. Gonzalez is a medical pioneer in novel surgical methods for treating medically refractory seizures such as stereo-electroencephalography, SEEG guided laser ablative procedures, neuromodulatory interventions and robotic guided surgeries, bringing for the first time innovative surgical interventions to the United States and other countries. His particular field of interest and academic drive is related to neuro-electrophysiology, intracranial signal processing and behavioral neuroscience studies.Combined, the clinical and basic science efforts have been guiding his academic and clinical pathway for safer and more efficient methods for treating patients with severe seizures and abnormal movement disorders, promoting the improvement of symptoms, in combination with better functional and quality of life outcomes.

rofessor Lim is a highly respected Consultant Neurologist and epilepsy specialist. He graduated MBBS from the University of Malaya in 1999 and holds MRCP (UK) and a PhD (from UM) — credentials reflecting strong local roots combined with international-standard training. His neurology subspecialty training was initially undertaken at UM (2008), followed by fellowship exposure in Melbourne (2011) and Cleveland (2017), focusing on epilepsy.

He is Head of the Neurology Unit at University of Malaya Medical Centre and also practices at UM Specialist Centre. His clinical expertise encompasses both non-invasive and invasive epilepsy management, including long-term video-EEG monitoring, intracranial monitoring (stereo-EEG; depth and subdural electrodes), cortical stimulation, vagal nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and procedures such as corpus callosotomy and radiofrequency ablation.

Beyond his clinical work, his leadership roles are substantial. He currently serves as President of the ASEAN Neurological Association (2023-2027), has been General Secretary for the Asian & Oceanian Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy, and has held the presidency of Malaysian neuroscience/epilepsy societies. His research portfolio is robust, with over 150 original papers and projects in epilepsy genetics, pharmacogenomics, novel therapies, quantitative EEG/MRI, and psychosocial aspects. He has supervised both local and international trainees and fellows.Overall, his combination of advanced clinical skills, international fellowship training, leadership in regional and global neurology/epilepsy bodies, and a strong track record of research makes him a top choice for patients requiring expert care in epilepsy and complex neurological conditions.

Louis Maillard has been leading the Patrick Chauvel Epileptology Unit at the Regional University Hospital of Nancy since 2005. This unit is recognized as a tertiary French and European Reference
Center for rare and drug-refractory epilepsies (ERN EPICARE). Louis is a Professor of Neurology at Lorraine University and a member of the Clinical and Neuroscience Research Team at
Lorraine University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 7365. Additionally, he chairs the Scientific Board of the French Clinical Neurophysiology Society and is a member of the ILAE
Task Force on Diagnostic Methods/EEG.
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Louis Maillard completed a clinical fellowship at the Marseille Epileptology Unit from 2003 to 2005 and earned a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Marseille under the supervision of Professors
Patrick and Catherine Chauvel. His research interests and publications focus on drug-resistant epilepsies, with several key objectives:
1. Improving the delineation of the epileptogenic zone using both Stereo-
Electroencephalography (SEEG) and Electrical Source Imaging.

2. Enhancing post-surgical cognitive outcomes, particularly in language and visual recognition,
through electrical cortical stimulation, intra-cerebral evoked potentials, and cortico-cortical
evoked potentials.
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Louis Maillard has served as a tutor and faculty member at numerous international workshops and congresses on SEEG and drug-resistant epilepsies. He chaired the Special Interest Group of the
American Epilepsy Society (AES) dedicated to SEEG in December 2024.

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Dr. Rizzi is consultant neurosurgeon at the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute in Milan,where he is the surgical lead of the epilepsy surgery program, since 2021.

He served asconsultant neurosurgeon under the mentorship of Dr Lo Russo at the ClaudioMunari Epilepsy Surgery Center in Milan for 5 years (2016-2021), where hespecialized in epilepsy surgery, advancing in the field of SEEG andresective/disconnective surgery. Previously, he spent one year of residence asclinical and research assistant at the National Hospital for Neurology andNeurosurgery/UCL, in London, UK.

Carlo Besta EpilepsySurgery Program involves the care of both pediatric and adult patients,including invasive diagnostic surgery.

His researchinterests include surgical techniques in functional neurosurgery, anatomofunctionalcorrelations and the study of surgical outcome predictors.

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After completing his medical and scientific training inNeurology and Neuroscience, Dr. Patrick Chauvel became a researcher at INSERM(Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) in Paris (1975).There, he began his pioneering work in experimental and clinical research onthe mechanisms of epilepsy. Under the mentorship of Talairach and Bancaud atHôpital Sainte-Anne/Université René Descartes in Paris, he advancedstereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) as a presurgical method using intracerebralelectrodes for epilepsy surgery (1975–1990). His research has focused on thepathophysiology of the epileptogenic zone, the emergence of seizure semiology,and human cerebral cortex physiology. Notably, he championed the concept of anepileptogenic network, moving beyond the classical "epileptic focus"model, and pioneered new insights into markers of the epileptogenic zone andfocal epilepsy semiology.  

Succeeding Jean Bancaud, Dr. Chauvel served as Director ofthe SEEG Unit at Hôpital Sainte-Anne (1986–1990), then as Professor andChairman of Neurology in Rennes (1990–1997), where he established an innovativeEpilepsy Unit integrating clinical care and research. Later, he becameProfessor and Chairman of Clinical Neurophysiology and Director of the INSERMInstitute of Systems Neuroscience in Marseille (1997–2014). In 2014, he joinedthe Cleveland Clinic’s Epilepsy Center to advance SEEG-based presurgical evaluationin North America, while also serving as Professor of Neurology at the ClevelandClinic Lerner College of Medicine (Case Western Reserve University).Additionally, as an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland(Brisbane), he guided the development of SEEG-based epilepsy surgery andresearch programs. He later held appointments as Professor of Neurology at theUniversity of Pittsburgh and Neurologist at UPMC.  

Currently, Dr. Chauvel is a researcher at the ClevelandClinic Epilepsy Center, where he is developing novel SEEG-based methods forpresurgical evaluation of drug-resistant epilepsy and researching biomarkers ofthe epileptogenic zone and the neural mechanisms underlying seizuresemiology.  

He is a Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgiumin recognition of his contributions to the field.  

Dr Sarah Ferrand-Sorbets is a Pediatric Neurosurgeon and Head of Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery in the Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France (CCMR Epilepsies Rares, member of the EPICARE European Reference Network and Centre de Référence et de compétence des épilepsies rares CRéER).

Graduated in 2008, she then received pediatric epilepsy surgery training with Olivier DELALANDE & Georg DORFMULLER at the Rothschild Foundation Hospital, including a residency at the Great Osmond Street Hosiptal, London, in 2018. She is member of the ILAE Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery -Task Force of the Surgery Commission (2021-2025) and Faculty member of the International Epilepsy Surgery Society (IESS).

Her clinical and research interests include all the fields of the pediatric epilepsy surgery : presurgical evaluation with invasive : grids and sEEG, robotic frameless stereotactic procedures, radiofrequency thermocoagulation, resective-disconnective procedures, MRI-guided procedures, LITT, and neuromodulation : VNS and DBS. She leads the development of MRI guided neurosurgery and its various applications : Laser thermoablation, gene therapy and DBS.