Jacqueline French, MD, FAAN is a professor in the Department of Neurology at New York University (NYU) and Co-Director of Epilepsy Research and Clinical Trials at NYU’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. She is also the Director of the Epilepsy Study Consortium, a collaborative organization advancing research and clinical development in epilepsy.

An internationally recognized expert in epilepsy, therapeutic interventions, and clinical trial methodology, Dr. French has played a pivotal role in the development of new treatments for epilepsy. She co-directs a bi-annual symposium focused on clinical trial design and its implications, fostering advancements in the field. Dr. French is actively involved in the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), where she holds committee positions and has co-authored numerous clinical practice guidelines.

Dr. French is widely published, with research articles, editorials, and book chapters featured in leading medical journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, Neuron, NeuroImage, Epilepsy Currents, and Lancet Neurology. She has edited two books on epilepsy and is a sought-after global speaker on antiepileptic drug therapeutics and related topics.

Her previous roles include Assistant Dean for Clinical Trials at the University of Pennsylvania, President of the American Epilepsy Society, and Secretary of the American Society of Experimental Neurotherapeutics. She has also collaborated with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop new trial designs for antiepileptic drug approvals.

Dr. French completed her neurology residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and fellowship training in EEG and epilepsy at Mount Sinai Hospital and Yale University. Her exceptional contributions to epilepsy research and clinical trials were recognized with the Epilepsy Foundation’s Hero of Epilepsy Award in 2013, honoring her impact on the field and the broader epilepsy community.