Dr Sallie Baxendale is currently Consultant Neuropsychologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and UCL’s Institute of Neurology, where she has worked with people with epilepsy for over 20 years.
Presented at the International Neuropsychological Society Conference 2018 Mid-Year Meeting in Prague on July 19th, the award recognises an individual who has made a substantial contribution to research in the area of brain-behaviour relationships.
Bruce Hermann, Professor of Neuropsychology at The University of Wisconsin, who presented Dr Baxendale with the award, said: she is “a superb candidate for the Benton Mid-Career Award.
“…Given her sustained clinical and research contributions, and advancement of the cause of clinical neuropsychology in the care and treatment of people with epilepsy, her commitment to training the next generation of worldwide specialists, and improving standards of care throughout the world.”
Dr Baxendale has over 140 academic publications in epilepsy research and her research interests cover a broad spectrum of concerns.
She has been a major contributor to key areas of neuropsychology of epilepsy and epilepsy surgery and her work has led to significant theoretical and clinical advances that have changed evidence-based practice and improved patient care.
Dr Baxendale said she was “delighted” to receive the award, particularly given the fact that this was the award is only given once every seven years and this is first time that epilepsy has been recognised in this category.
“It is a huge honour to be recognised by such a prestigious society. I was also really pleased that research with a clinical base had been recognised in this way, given the breath of neuropsychology research,” she said.
“Since completing my PhD, my research has been driven by my commitment to evidence-based clinical practice, and improving the accuracy of information when it comes to understanding the risks and benefits of epilepsy surgery,” she added.
Currently Dr Baxendale is developing advanced training courses and online interactive tools for clinicians who are helping people make informed decisions about epilepsy surgery.