The PERC LGS Special Interest Group is leveraging national expertise and harmonized multi-center clinical data to define the etiological landscape, natural history, mechanisms, current clinical practices, and outcomes for LGS. We aim to develop an improved evidence base for prevention strategies, best-practice treatment and improved outcomes for individuals with LGS, and to facilitate prospective studies and clinical trials.

Our group meets on the second Monday of the month at 4 pm EST.

Sig leader

Debopam Samanta, MD, MS, FAAP, FAES

Arkansas Children

Juliet Knowles is Assistant Professor in Neurology at Stanford. Dr. Knowles is a physician-scientist who provides clinical care for children with epilepsy and leads a lab team conducting basic, translational and clinical research on pediatric epilepsy. She completed her M.D. and Ph.D. in Neurosciences at Stanford University, followed by residency training in Pediatrics and Child Neurology at Stanford, where she also served as Chief Resident. Following clinical fellowship training in Pediatric Epilepsy, Dr. Knowles completed post-doctoral research related to myelin plasticity in epilepsy, under the mentorship of Drs. Michelle Monje and John Huguenard. Dr. Knowles is passionate about providing thorough, compassionate and innovative care for her patients, and her overarching goal is to use research as a tool to discover improved therapies for children with epilepsy. She is committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and clinicians, from undergraduates interested in learning about lab research to medical students, residents and post-doctoral scholars. When she is not in the clinic or the lab, Dr. Knowles loves to spend time with her husband, Josh, and their two children. She also enjoys reading, training and running in marathons, and spending time in the great outdoors of California.

Sig Co-leader

Cynthia Keator

Jane and John Justin Institute of Mind Health

Juliet Knowles is Assistant Professor in Neurology at Stanford. Dr. Knowles is a physician-scientist who provides clinical care for children with epilepsy and leads a lab team conducting basic, translational and clinical research on pediatric epilepsy. She completed her M.D. and Ph.D. in Neurosciences at Stanford University, followed by residency training in Pediatrics and Child Neurology at Stanford, where she also served as Chief Resident. Following clinical fellowship training in Pediatric Epilepsy, Dr. Knowles completed post-doctoral research related to myelin plasticity in epilepsy, under the mentorship of Drs. Michelle Monje and John Huguenard. Dr. Knowles is passionate about providing thorough, compassionate and innovative care for her patients, and her overarching goal is to use research as a tool to discover improved therapies for children with epilepsy. She is committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and clinicians, from undergraduates interested in learning about lab research to medical students, residents and post-doctoral scholars. When she is not in the clinic or the lab, Dr. Knowles loves to spend time with her husband, Josh, and their two children. She also enjoys reading, training and running in marathons, and spending time in the great outdoors of California.

SIG Co-Leader

Babitha Haridas
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Aaron Warren is an early-career researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Melbourne, where he used neuroimaging and electrophysiology to study the brain network mechanisms underlying Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In his postdoctoral work, he led the imaging analysis for multiple clinical trials of deep brain and responsive neurostimulation for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. His current research focuses on improving neurosurgical targeting accuracy and developing predictive models of clinical outcome for neuromodulation therapies in epilepsy and disorders of consciousness. When he’s not peering at MRI scans, he enjoys running, seeing live music, and finding new muesli recipes.