Daniel H. Lowenstein (physician)
Encyclopedia
Daniel H. Lowenstein, M.D., is Professor and Vice Chairman in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco
(UCSF), Director of the UCSF Epilepsy Center, and Director of Physician-Scientist and Education Training Programs for the UCSF School of Medicine. He has served as Dean for Medical Education at Harvard Medical School
, and has been president of the American Epilepsy Society (2003-4). He has won numerous awards for his teaching.
from the University of Colorado
(1973), obtained an M.S. degree in Man-Environment Relations from Pennsylvania State University
(1978), and received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School
in 1983. At the University of California, San Francisco
(UCSF), he completed an internship in Pediatrics
(1983–84), a residency in Neurology
(1984–87), a two-year fellowship in Stanley Prusiner's Laboratory, and then became a faculty member at UCSF
in the Department of Neurology, where was the Robert B. and Ellinor Aird Professor of Neurology from 1998-2000. While at UCSF, he established the UCSF Epilepsy Research Laboratory, which he currently directs.
From 2000 to 2003, Lowenstein served as Dean for Medical Education at Harvard Medical School
(HMS). While there, he oversaw a re-organization of curricular governance, the creation of a new educational technology program, the establishment of the HMS Academy, a novel structure for the support of the school’s educational mission. In 2003, he returned to his current position at UCSF.
Lowenstein recently completed a 4-year term as a member of the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
, which helps to define scientific policy at the national level.
At UCSF, he has received several teaching awards from the 1st and 2nd year classes for which they nominate their faculty each year. These include multiple awards for "A Major Contribution to Teaching," "Outstanding Lecture," "Outstanding Lecture Series," and "An Outstanding Role Model." He also received the 1992 UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, the 1993 and 1998 UCSF Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching, the UCSF Class of 1995 John V. Carbone Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Faculty Teaching Awards in 1994 and 1996. Lowenstein has given the Keynote Address for graduating students at Commencement Ceremonies at UCSF in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 2000. In 1996, the UCSF students awarded him the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Lowenstein has also advocated for cultural diversity issues at UCSF, for which he received the 1998 Black Student Health Association’s Faculty Award, the 1998 UCSF Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, and the 2006 Holly Smith Award for Exceptional Service to the UCSF School of Medicine.
For his research work, Lowenstein received the American Epilepsy Society’s 2001 Basic Research Award, given each year to one basic science investigator whose research "contributes importantly to understanding and conquering epilepsy."
(unusually prolonged seizures) and understanding the genetic factors thought to underlie many epilepsies (idiopathic epilepsies).
He has been the Principal Investigator of a prospective, multi-centered, NIH-sponsored clinical trial that examined helped define the optimal therapy for status epilepticus patients in pre-hospital settings. He is the director of the UCSF Epilepsy Center, and a leader of a national effort—The Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project—designed to make new discoveries in this area. He is also the director of the Physician-Scientist Education and Training Programs for the UCSF School of Medicine.
His efforts in epilepsy research have been recognized by the American Epilepsy Society’s 2001 Basic Research Award, an honor given each year to the foremost basic science investigator whose research contributes importantly to understanding and conquering epilepsy.
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
(UCSF), Director of the UCSF Epilepsy Center, and Director of Physician-Scientist and Education Training Programs for the UCSF School of Medicine. He has served as Dean for Medical Education at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, and has been president of the American Epilepsy Society (2003-4). He has won numerous awards for his teaching.
Education and academic career
Lowenstein graduated with a B.A. in MathematicsMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
(1973), obtained an M.S. degree in Man-Environment Relations from Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
(1978), and received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
in 1983. At the University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
(UCSF), he completed an internship in Pediatrics
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
(1983–84), a residency in Neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
(1984–87), a two-year fellowship in Stanley Prusiner's Laboratory, and then became a faculty member at UCSF
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
in the Department of Neurology, where was the Robert B. and Ellinor Aird Professor of Neurology from 1998-2000. While at UCSF, he established the UCSF Epilepsy Research Laboratory, which he currently directs.
From 2000 to 2003, Lowenstein served as Dean for Medical Education at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
(HMS). While there, he oversaw a re-organization of curricular governance, the creation of a new educational technology program, the establishment of the HMS Academy, a novel structure for the support of the school’s educational mission. In 2003, he returned to his current position at UCSF.
Lowenstein recently completed a 4-year term as a member of the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health . It conducts and funds research on brain and nervous system disorders and has a budget of just over US$1.5 billion...
, which helps to define scientific policy at the national level.
Awards
Lowenstein has received numerous awards, for his medical school teaching, both at UCSF and nationally. His national awards include:- The American Medical Student AssociationAmerican Medical Student AssociationThe American Medical Student Association , founded in 1950 and based in Washington, D.C., is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. AMSA is a student-governed, national organization...
(AMSA) National Golden Apple for Teaching Excellence Award (1997), which is given to one medical school teacher in the country each year. - The American Neurological AssociationAmerican Neurological AssociationThe American Neurological Association, is a professional society with a mission of educating neurologists and physicians as well as increasing knowledge and enhancing treatment of diseases of the nervous system. It was founded in June 1875.-Officers:...
(ANA) named him the first recipient of the ANA Distinguished Teacher Award (1997). - The Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award from the American Association of Medical Colleges (1998).
At UCSF, he has received several teaching awards from the 1st and 2nd year classes for which they nominate their faculty each year. These include multiple awards for "A Major Contribution to Teaching," "Outstanding Lecture," "Outstanding Lecture Series," and "An Outstanding Role Model." He also received the 1992 UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, the 1993 and 1998 UCSF Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching, the UCSF Class of 1995 John V. Carbone Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Faculty Teaching Awards in 1994 and 1996. Lowenstein has given the Keynote Address for graduating students at Commencement Ceremonies at UCSF in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 2000. In 1996, the UCSF students awarded him the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Lowenstein has also advocated for cultural diversity issues at UCSF, for which he received the 1998 Black Student Health Association’s Faculty Award, the 1998 UCSF Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, and the 2006 Holly Smith Award for Exceptional Service to the UCSF School of Medicine.
For his research work, Lowenstein received the American Epilepsy Society’s 2001 Basic Research Award, given each year to one basic science investigator whose research "contributes importantly to understanding and conquering epilepsy."
Research
Lowenstein's clinical and research interests include the management and treatment of patients with status epilepticusStatus epilepticus
Status epilepticus is a life-threatening condition in which the brain is in a state of persistent seizure. Definitions vary, but traditionally it is defined as one continuous unremitting seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes, or recurrent seizures without regaining consciousness between seizures...
(unusually prolonged seizures) and understanding the genetic factors thought to underlie many epilepsies (idiopathic epilepsies).
He has been the Principal Investigator of a prospective, multi-centered, NIH-sponsored clinical trial that examined helped define the optimal therapy for status epilepticus patients in pre-hospital settings. He is the director of the UCSF Epilepsy Center, and a leader of a national effort—The Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project—designed to make new discoveries in this area. He is also the director of the Physician-Scientist Education and Training Programs for the UCSF School of Medicine.
His efforts in epilepsy research have been recognized by the American Epilepsy Society’s 2001 Basic Research Award, an honor given each year to the foremost basic science investigator whose research contributes importantly to understanding and conquering epilepsy.
Publications
Lowenstein has published over 80 scholarly professional journal articles that includeExternal links
- UCSF faculty biography
- Audio interview at Epilepsy.com (2004, June 24). Audio Interview with Dr. Dan Lowenstein, President of the American Epilepsy Society Innovations in the Field of Epilepsy.