Blume-Girvin Lecture in Epilepsy
Each fall, the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, hosts The Blume-Girvin Lecture in Epilepsy, in recognition of the innovative efforts of its Epilepsy Program’s founders, Dr. Warren T. Blume, neurologist and epileptologist, and Dr. John P. Girvin, neurosurgeon and neurophysiologist. The inaugural Blume-Girvin Lecture took place in October of 2016.
In the 1970s, Drs. Blume and Girvin recognized that the complexities of treating epilepsy required effective collaboration between the divisions of Neurology and Neurosurgery. The term “medically-intractable epilepsy” had not yet been coined, but Drs. Blume and Girvin recognized its existence and the need for a team approach to treatment. They led a team of individuals to establish one of the first Epilepsy programs in Canada—and the first in Ontario—in 1977. The Program has since trained dozens of neurologists and neurosurgeons in the field of epilepsy and is renowned world-wide for its highly-qualified team of professionals. Comprised of neurologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, psychologists, EEG technologists, neuropathologists, neuroradiologists, and neurophysiologists, this dedicated team strives for excellence in the management of epilepsy.
Dr. Warren Blume has been recognized as an outstanding EEG and Epilepsy researcher by the American Epilepsy Society, the Canadian League Against Epilepsy, and the International League Against Epilepsy. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2012.
Dr John Girvin’s contributions to the field of epilepsy surgery have been recognized by Western University, the Canadian Neurosurgical Society, and The Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.
The Blume-Girvin Lecturer is an individual of international reputation who is recognized for their contribution to Epilepsy Care, particularly Epilepsy Surgery, and whose work is reflective of the principles and values articulated by Drs. Blume and Girvin: following evidence-based practice, putting patient care first, and showing patients the best care physicians can provide.
The Blume-Girvin Lecture Series seeks to share new insights and innovation in the fields of epilepsy surgery and treatment, continuing the work initiated by these two remarkable neuroscientists, clinicians, researchers, and educators.
2025 Blume-Girvin Lecturer
Dr. Robert E. Gross
The Epilepsy Program at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert E. Gross will present the 2025 Blume-Girvin Lecture in Epilepsy.
Robert E. Gross, MD, PhD is a renowned neurosurgeon who has led collaborative teams of clinician-scientists in the pursuit of improving the quality of life for patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders, serves as joint chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Medical School, both part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Dr. Gross also serves as the senior vice president for neurosurgical services at RWJBarnabas Health, helping effect a transformational change in the provision of neurosurgical care throughout the health system and Rutgers Health.
Dr. Gross held the MBNA/Bowman Endowed Chair in Neurological Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and directed their functional and stereotactic neurosurgery division. As long-standing surgeon-scientist with an active NIH funded research program and mentor of many medical, graduate and other students, residents, and post-doctoral fellows, Dr. Gross also rose to serve as director of their NIH-funded medical scientist (MD/PhD) training program. In recognition of his lifetime of dedication to mentoring, Dr. Gross was a recent recipient of the Medical Student Teaching Award granted by the Society for Neurological Surgery. Dr. Gross applied his expertise in neuromodulation by employing innovative techniques that use electrical impulses to target nerves within the brain, lessening life-altering symptoms of severe disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, depression and other neurological disorders. He was principal investigator in several clinical trials establishing the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease and tremor as well as exploring new technologies including cell and gene therapy. Dr. Gross directed the surgical team that was at the forefront of developing deep brain stimulation as a treatment for drug-resistant seizures in epilepsy, reducing the frequency and severity of seizures for patients with epilepsy, as well as stereotactic laser ablation which has added a frequently used minimally invasive alternative to open surgery for epilepsy. He has also played a key role in the development of DBS for psychiatric disorders such as depression.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health continuously since 2005, Dr. Gross has been the principal investigator of numerous NIH-funded projects and principal or co-investigator of many NIH- and industry-funded clinical trials. He continues this work at Rutgers RWJ Medical School where he currently has 2 R01-grant–supported research projects that seek to understand how current neuromodulation treatments can be improved to provide better outcomes for patients. He is also site principal investigator of 2 clinical trials, exploring DBS for major depression and gene therapy for temporal lobe epilepsy. Advancing the technologies of neural stimulation and gene and cell therapy for neurological and psychiatric disorders has been the goal of Dr. Gross’s research for 25 years.
Lecture Title: 15 Years of Stereotactic Laser Ablation in Epilepsy: What Does the LITTerature Show?
Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Location: Auditorium A (B3-246), University Hospital
*Please note this lecture is in-person only.
Past Lectures:
2024 - Dr. Nathalie Jette
Professor and Department Head of Department of Clinical Neurosciences at University of Calgary
"Health services research and neuro-epidemiology in action: Findings that can inform clinical practice for people with epilepsy and neurological conditions"
2023 - Dr. Jorge A. González-Martínez
Director, Epilepsy/Movement Disorders Surgery Division & Current Stuart Niles Rowe Chair in Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh
"The Stereotaxic Concept in Epilepsy Surgery"
2022 - Dr. Jaideep Kapur
Eugene Meyer III Professor of Neuroscience & Neurology & Brain Institute Director at the University of Virginia
"Status Epilepticus Treatment"
2021 - Dr. Christoph Helmstaedter
Associate Professor, Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn, Germany
"Epilepsy Surgery: What can we expect in regard to cognition?"
2020 - Dr. James T. Rutka
RS McLaughlin Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
"The Evolution of Epilepsy Surgery Techniques: The Hospital for Sick Children Experience"
2019 - Dr. Solomon L. Moshe
Charles Frost Chair in Neurosurgery and Neurology, Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics,Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center
"Kindling and Rekindling the “Truths” in Epilepsy"
2018 - Dr. Dennis Spencer
Professor and Chair, Neurosurgery
Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine
"The Role of Surgery and Technology in Focal Epilepsy & its Comorbidities"
2017 - Dr. Samuel Wiebe
Professor, NeurologyCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
President, International League Against Epilepsy
"Precision Medicine in Epilepsy"
view poster
Watch here.
2016 - Dr. Phillipe Kahane
Professor, NeurologyCentre Hospitalier Universitarie Grenoble Aples
University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France
“Stereo-electroencephalography:Origins and current state of art”
Dr. Warren Blume, Professor Emeritus, Dr. John Girvin, Professor Emeritus, Dr. Dennis Spencer, Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Yale University School of Medicine, and Dr. Jorge Burneo and Dr. David Steven, Co-Directors of the Epilepsy Program, at the 2018 Blume-Girvin Lecture in Epilepsy "The Role of Surgery and Technology in Focal Epilepsy & its Comorbidities".
Dr. David Steven, Co-Director of the Epilepsy Program, Dr. Warren Blume, Professor Emeritus, Dr. Samuel Wiebe, Associate Dean for Clinical Research at the University of Calgary and Dr. Jorge Burneo, Co-Director of the Epilepsy Program, at the 2017 Blume-Girvin Lecture in Epilepsy "Precision Medicine in Epilepsy."
Dr. Samuel Wiebe, President of @IlaeWeb and Prof at @DCNSNeuro giving the #BlumeGirvin2017 Lecture in #Epilepsy https://t.co/9f4OXmIFFA
— #WesternU CNS (@westernuCNS) November 21, 2017
