Berkovic, Samuel Frank (1952 - )

Summary

Samuel Berkovic is a neurologist internationally renowned for his research in the genetics of epilepsy. His early work was in neuroimaging. He was a pioneer in applying brain imaging methods (eg MRI) to epilepsy. Berkovic and Ingrid Scheffer were the first to prove that many forms of epilepsy have a genetic component. It was in 1995 that they first identified the gene mutation associated with an idiopathic form of epilepsy. Further research led to the identification of other genetic mutations, and the concept that that epilepsies are, at least in part, a family of channelopathies where ion channels of cellular membranes malfunction. Berkovic has been at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, a teaching faculty of the University of Melbourne for over 30 years. He has been Director and Chair of the Epilepsy Research Centre since 1998. Berkovic's wider contributions have included service as President of the Epilepsy Society of Australia and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Bruce Lefroy Centre at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. He has also been a member of the Classification and Terminology, and other Commissions, of the International League Against Epilepsy. Berkovic has received many awards for his research. In 2014 he and Scheffer received the Prime Minister's Prize for Science.

Details

"Samuel Berkovic has made discoveries about familial forms of epilepsy that have led to a complete overhaul of their clinical management and provided new insights into their underlying biology. His research has established that mutations in single genes encoding neuronal membrane channels cause epileptic seizures. Professor Berkovic and his collaborators have discovered eight of the twelve genes presently known for which mutations are associated with idiopathic epilepsies. These discoveries have revolutionised basic scientific research into epilepsy. Professor Berkovic's research has been recognised over the past ten years by numerous awards and prizes within Australia and internationally." [from https://www.science.org.au/profile/sam-berkovic 19/6/2025]

Chronology

1977

Education - BMedSc, University of Melbourne

1977

Education - MB BS, University of Melbourne

1981 -

Career position - Member, Australian Association of Neurologists

1984 - 1987

Career position - Epilepsy Fellowship, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

1985 -

Education - Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians

1985

Education - MD, University of Melbourne

1987 - 1988

Career position - NHMRC Neil Hamilton Fairley Fellow, University of Melbourne

1987 - 1995

Career position - Neurologist (later Senior Neurologist), Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Austin Hospital

1988 -

Career position - Member, Epilepsy Society of Australia

1989 - ?

Career position - Adjunct Professor, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Canada

1989 - ?

Career position - NHMRC Senior Research Officer, University of Melbourne

1989 - 1994

Career position - Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne

1990 -

Career position - Member, American Academy of Neurology

1991 -

Career position - Member, Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Epilepsy, Victoria

1992 -

Career position - Honorary Neurologist, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne

1992 - 1995

Career position - Chairman, Victorian State Committee, Australian Association of Neurologists

1993 -

Career position - Member, American Epilepsy Society

1993

Award - Eric Susman Prize, Royal Australasian College of Physicians

1994 - 1995

Career position - Chairman, Scientific Committee, 21st International Epilepsy Congress, Sydney

1994 - 1998

Career position - Chairman, Commission on Neuroimaging, International League Against Epilepsy

1994 - 1998

Career position - Member, Commission on Neurosurgery, International League Against Epilepsy

1994 - 1998

Career position - Member, Commission on Genetics, Pregnancy and the Child, International League Against Epilepsy

1995 -

Career position - Director, Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne

1995

Award - Research Recognition Award (Clinical Investigator), American Epilepsy Society

1995 - 1998

Career position - Associate Professor, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne

1996 -

Career position - Member, Canadian Neurological Society

1997

Award - Selwyn-Smith Medical Research Prize, University of Melbourne

1998 - 2007

Career position - Professor (Personal Chair), Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne

1998 - 2007

Career position - Director, Epilepsy Research Centre, Austin Health

1999 -

Career position - Member, Editorial Board, Epileptic disorders

2000

Award - Peter Bladin Award, Epilepsy Society of Australia

2000 - 2003

Career position - President, Epilepsy Society of Australia

2001 -

Career position - Scientific Director, Brain Research Institute, Melbourne

2001 - 2005

Career position - Chairman, Program Committee, World Congress of Neurology

2002

Award - GlaxoSmithKline Australia Award for Research Excellence

2004 -

Career position - Member, American Neurological Association

2005 -

Career position - Member, Editorial Board, Brain

2005 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

2005

Award - Curtin Medal for Excellence in Medical Research, John Curtin School of Medical Research

2005

Award - Zülch Prize for Basic Neurological Research (shared with Christian Elger, Bonn), Max Planck Society, Germany

2005

Award - Ambassador for Epilepsy Award, International League Against Epilepsy and International Bureau for Epilepsy

2005 - 2010

Career position - Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee, Bruce Lefroy Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

13 Jun 2005

Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to medicine as a neurologist, particularly in the field of epilepsy research and treatment

2006

Award - Royal Society of Victoria Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research

2006

Award - Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research, Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundation

2007 -

Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)

2007 -

Career position - Chair, Epilepsy Research Centre, Austin Health

2007 -

Career position - Laureate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne

2007 -

Career position - Inaugural Fellow, National Health and Medical Research Council

2007 - 2009

Career position - Member, Classification and Terminology Commission, International League Against Epilepsy

2007 - 2009

Career position - Chair, Grant Review Panels, National Health and Medical Research Council

2008 -

Career position - Member, Association of British Neurologists

2009

Award - Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation Medal, Caulfield South, Victoria

2009 - 2013

Career position - Chair, Commission on Genetics, International League Against Epilepsy

2010 -

Career position - Member, Editorial Board, The lancet neurology

2010

Award - Excellence Award, National Health and Medical Research Council

2010 - 2012

Career position - Member, Advisory Board, 13th Asian Oceanian Congress of Neurology, Melbourne

2011 - 2013

Career position - Co-Chair, Organising Committee, "Curing Epilepsy", National Institutes of Health

2011 - 2013

Career position - Chair, Sectional Committee for Medicine and Public Health, Australian Academy of Science

2014

Award - Samuel Gershon Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Translational Neuroscience, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute

2014

Award - Prime Minister's Prize for Science (shared with Ingrid Scheffer), Commonwealth of Australia

26 Jan 2014

Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - for eminent service to biomedical research in the field of epilepsy genetics as a leading academic and clinician, to the study of neurology on a national and international level, and as an ambassador for Australian medical science education

2015 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAHMS)

2017 -

Career position - Member, National Academy of Medicine, U.S.A.

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Berkovic, Samuel, Genton, P. Hirsch, E. and Picard, F., Genetics of focal epilepsies (Arcueil, France: John Libbey Eurotext, 1999), 296 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Vajda, F.J. E.; and Berkovic, S. F., 'Dr Petert F Bladin AO', Chiron (2022), https://medicine.unimelb.edu.au/engage/alumni/welcome-to-chiron-2022/in-memorium/dr-peter-f-bladin-ao. Details
• Williams, Ruth, 'Sam Berkovic: a need for answers', Lancet: neurology, 9 (6) (2010), 570. Details

Resources

• 'Berkovic, Samuel Frank (1952 - )', Recipients [of the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science, 2000 - 2017], Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, 2017, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20171113015638/http://www.science.gov.au/community/PrimeMinistersPrizesforScience/Recipients/2014/Pages/Professors-Sam-Berkovic-AC-Ingrid-Scheffer-AO.aspx. Details
• 'Professor Samuel Berkovic AC FRS FAA FAHMS', Fellows of the Academy, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, https://aahms.org/fellowship-archives/professor-samuel-berkovic/. Details

See also

• Companion (AC) in the General Division of the Order of Australia [Australia Day, 2014], Governor General's Office, Canberra, 2014, https://web.archive.org.au/awa/20190510165629mp_/https:/www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/ad/Media%20Notes%20-%20AC%20(final).pdf. Details