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Neurology

Our Specialists

Epilepsy Center

James Burchfiel, Ph.D.James Burchfiel, Ph.D.

585-341-7420

Current Titles and Roles

Professor of Neurology
Director, Neurophysiology Laboratory

Degrees, Certifications, and Licenses

  • B.A., Stanford University (Chemistry, Cum Laude), 1963
  • Ph.D., Stanford University (Neuropharmacology), 1969

Prior Work History

1968-1970, Captain, United States Army Medical Service Corps assigned to Neurophysiology Branch, Medical Research Laboratory, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland
1969-1970, Instructor In Neuronanatomy (part-time),
University of Maryland School of Medicine
1970-1971, Research Fellow in Neurology,
Harvard Medical School
1971-1975, Research Associate in Neurology
(Neurophysiology), Harvard Medical School
1975-1989, Principal Research Associate in Neurology,
Neurophysiology), Harvard Medical School

Highlights

Professional memberships:

  • 1976-Present, Society for Neuroscience
  • 1978-Present, Eastern Association of Electroencephalographers
  • 1979-Present, American Clinical Neurophysiolgy Society
  • 1979-Present, American Epilepsy Society
  • 1990-Present, International Society for Brain Electromagnetic Topography

Honors and awards:

  • 1979, Special Reviewer, Neurological Sciences Study Section, Division of Research Grants, NIH
  • 1980, Member, Special Study Section, Division of Research Grants, NIH
  • 1981, Member, Special Site Visit Study Section, Division of Research Grants, NIH
  • Member, Special Study Section, Division of Research Grants, NIH
  • 1982, Member, Site Visit Committee, Neurology A Study Section Division of Research Grants, NIH
  • 1982-1983, Junior to Senior Councilor, Eastern Association of Electroencephalographers
  • 1983, Special Reviewer, Neurological Sciences Study Section, Division of Research Grants, NIH
  • 1983, Special Research Program Review Committee, Department of Defense, Medical Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD
  • 1983-1986, Secretary/Treasurer, Eastern Association of Electroencephalographers
  • 1983-1990, Committee on Technical Matters, Long-term Monitoring, American Electroencephalographic Society
  • 1985-1986, Program Committee, American Epilepsy Society
  • 1985-1990, Program Committee, Eastern Association of Electroencephalographers
  • 1986-1987, President-Elect, Eastern Association of Electroencephalographers
  • 1986-1990, Chartered Member, Neurology A Study Section, Division of Research Grants, NIH
  • 1988-1989, President, Eastern Association of Electroencephalographers
  • 1990-1992, Childhood Epilepsy Committee, American Epilepsy Society
  • 1990-1993, Chair, Long-Range Planning Committee, Eastern Association of Electroencephalographers
  • 1991-Present, Consultant, NINDS Neurological Disorders Program Project Review A Committee, NIH
  • 1993-1995, Medical Instrumentation Committee, American Electroencephalographic Society
  • 1994-1997, Investigators' Workshop Committee, American Epilepsy Society
  • 1996-Present, Practice of Clinical Neurophysiology Committee, American Clinical Neuurophysiology Society

Research

  • Basic mechanisms of epilepsy
  • Kindling
  • Human epilepsy
  • Clinical neurophysiology

Academic Activity

  • 1989-Present, Director and Lecturer, Resident Conference on Epilepsy, Department of Neurology.
  • 1990-Present, Director, resident training in electroencephalograpy, Department of Neurology.
  • 1991, Faculty, Neurobiology of Neurologic Disease, Department of Neurology.

Comments

Dr. Burchfiel graduated cum laude from Stanford University, where he also received his Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology and Neurophysiology. After military service during Vietnam, he joined the faculty of the Harvard Medical School at Children's Hospital, Boston. For the next nineteen years he pursued a dual career in basic research and clinical practice at the Seizure Unit of Children's Hospital. His basic research focused on how seizures occur in animal models. Clinically, he completed a two year fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology and became a senior neurophysiologist. He developed the long term video/EEG monitoring program for epilepsy diagnosis and surgical planning at the Seizure Unit. Dr. Burchfiel came to Rochester to establish the Strong Epilepsy Center in 1989. He was Co-Director with Dr. Giuseppe Erba until 1999, when he became Director. Dr. Burchfiel has over thirty years experience in interpreting neurophysiological data for the diagnosis and characterization of seizure disorders.