First Annual National Epilepsy Day in the Republic of Guinea
sponsored by the U.S. Department of State to Dr. Mateen and a 2023 American Neurological Association's GAGE Award to the Guinean Neurological Society

MAMBO Project Publication

The Global Neurology Research Group's clinical trial—MAMBO—on poststroke fluoxetine in Tanzania has been published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Read about the results of the trial

SNRA Podcast about Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis

Dr. Mateen visited the Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association podcast in October 2021 to discuss Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) with host Krissy Dilger and Dr. Cindy Wang.

Electronic Pill Bottle Clinical Trial Publication

Along with collaborators, GNRG research coordinator, Dylan Rice, and Dr. Mateen have published an August 2021 paper in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences titled Electronic pill bottles to monitor and promote medication adherence for people with multiple sclerosis: A randomized, virtual clinical trial. In this paper, they report on the real-world adherence of people living with MS (PwMS) to oral disease modifying therapies and provide data supporting that electronic pill bottles with audiovisual reminders may improve oral therapy adherence. They also note subgroups of PwMS who may have lower adherence and may benefit from future interventions or focused care, such as younger PwMS and PwMS who are taking a higher number of prescription pills on a daily basis.

American Academy of Neurology 2021 Presentation on Radiologically Isolated Syndrome

GNRG collaborator Dr. Ilena George, along with Dr. Farrah Mateen, Dylan Rice, and Dr. Lori Chibnik, recently presented a poster on radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) to the 2021 meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. The poster reported findings of disease features, risk factors, evaluation, and treatment for RIS in the high-efficacy therapy era.

Dr. Mateen receives 2021 AAN Mridha Spirit of Neurology award

Dr. Mateen was a 2021 recipient of the American Academy of Neurology's Mridha Spirit of Neurology Award. This humanitarian award is given annually to neurologists making impacts in low-income communities of the world. Read about the award at aan.com.

Electronic pill bottle clinical trial findings reported at ACTRIMS Forum 2021

Findings from the Global Neurology Research Group's clinical trial examining adherence to oral MS disease modifying therapies were presented at the 2021 ACTRIMS Forum in February by research coordinator Dylan Rice. Read more about the results of the trial.

COVID-19 Vaccination for People with MS

There are many questions about multiple sclerosis and COVID-19 vaccination. Read an interview between Dr. Mateen and the Neurology Learning Network discussing COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for people with MS.

Dr. Mateen Interviewed for ANA Investigates Podcast

Dr. Mateen was interviewed in a January 2021 episode of the American Neurological Association's ANA Investigates podcast focused on Neurologic Manifestations of the World Health Organization’s List of Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases, and has published an article on the same topic in Frontiers in Neurology.

Guinea Epilepsy Project receives Pierre Fabre Foundation's 2020 Global South eHealth Observatory Award

Dr. Mateen and her colleague Professor Abass Cisse Fode were 2020 laureates of the Pierre Fabre Foundation's Global South eHealth Observatory for their work on neurological digital health on behalf of the Guinea Epilepsy Project Team.

This honor is awarded for projects that expand eHealth in the global South and demonstrate potential to improve access to healthcare and reduce inequalities in healthcare for the most vulnerable populations in low-income countries.

The first phase of this project focused on developing a technological solution for brain recordings used in the diagnosis and treatment of people with epilepsy and the newest phase will integrate artificial intelligence to make the tool more effective and complete, helping to compensate for Guinea's lack of epilepsy specialists. Find out more about the Guinea Epilepsy Project's award.

Plenary Talk at 2020 Computational Data Neuroscience Symposium

Dr. Mateen delivered a talk about bringing EEG to vulnerable populations with epilepsy during the Computational Data Neuroscience Symposium in October 2020.

Detailing the Impact of COVID-19 on Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Dr. Mateen joined the RealTalk MS podcast to discuss the results of a survey she conducted in partnership with IConquerMS about the impact of COVID-19 on MS patients. The survey captured information from 1,000 patients.

While only seven individuals had tested positive for COVID-19, the impact of the pandemic on clinical care has been considerable: 64% of patients reported postponing or canceling visits with a neurologist and 10 percent have made changes to a disease modifying therapy dose or schedule–some without consulting their neurologist.

Listen to the podcast (Dr. Mateen's segment begins at 10:08). To learn more, please check out our publications detailing this research here and here.

Review on Cancer in Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Lebanon between 2015 and 2017

Dr. Mateen is the co-author of a May 2020 paper in The Lancet Oncology, which notes that "protracted conflicts in the Middle East have led to successive waves of refugees crossing borders. Chronic, non-communicable diseases are now recognised as diseases that need to be addressed in such crises. Cancer, in particular, with its costly, multidisciplinary care, poses considerable financial and ethical challenges for policy makers."

Bhutan Epilepsy Video

CMMB Medical Donations for Epilepsy Care and Research in Partnership with the Global Neurology Research Group and Ignace Dean Hospital

The Global Neurology Research Group has partnered with the Ignace Deen Hospital in Conakry, Guinea, since 2017. Together, the two institutions have built a robust scientific relationship to improve diagnostic care for patients with epilepsy in Guinea. Under Dr. Farrah Mateen’s leadership, more than 500 patients have received free treatment as part of the Guinea Epilepsy Project. In October of 2019, CMMB, a medical charity, began supporting the Global Neurology Research Group’s efforts in Guinea via donated anti-epileptic medications. Learn more