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Kameel Karkar

Contact

210-450-9700

karkar@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Research

Research profile

Clinical

Provider profile

Kameel M Karkar, M.D.

Professor/Clinical

Dr. Kameel Karkar is a clinical associate professor in the department of Neurology of the UT Health San Antonio School of Medicine. Dr. Karkar graduated from the University Of Chicago Pritzker School Of Medicine in 1997 and subsequently completed six years of post-graduate medical training: a Neurology residency at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy fellowships at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine.
Since his joining UT Health San Antonio in 2009, Dr. Karkar has served patients with neurological disease, particularly those with epilepsy, through his clinical work, administrative leadership of the UHS Seizure Clinic, as well as his volunteer activities with the Texas Chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation. Dr. Karkar has also served the University in other capacities of grant review and committee work, especially the Institutional Review Board (IRB), where he has been a member since 2014. At the national level, Dr. Karkar has been active at the American Epilepsy Society (AES), serving on the Practice Management Committee (PMC) and the Scientific Program Committee (SPC). While a PMC member, he served on the “Choosing Wisely” subcommittee and authored and contributed to several practice recommendations. Most recently, and through his PMC committee work, Dr. Karkar played a leading role in producing an AES statement related to the performance of EEGs during the COVID-19 crisis.
Dr. Karkar has been active in research. His current research interests have focused on the brain’s recovery from postictal suppression in the aftermath of focal to bilateral tonic/clonic seizures using stereotactic EEG. Dr. Karkar has also been committed to teaching activities of his peers and trainees of the Neurology department.

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 1998 - Internship - Medicine - Evanston Hospital, Northwestern University
    • 1997 - MD - Medicine (Department of Neurology Award at Graduation) - University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine
    • 1992 - BS - B.S. in Biomedical Engineering/Pre-med (Magna Cum Laude) - University of California at San Diego

    Training

    • 2003 - Clinical Fellowship - Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology - University of California at San Francisco
    • 2001 - Residency - Neurology - Washington University, St. Louis, MO
    • 1998 - Internship - Medicine - Evanston Hospital, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

    Appointments

    • 9/2015 - Medical Director, UHS Seizure Clinic - University Health SystemSan Antonio
    • 4/2015 - Coordinator, Epilepsy Research - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Neurology, San Antonio
    • 10/2010 - Attending Physician - Baptist Health SystemSan Antonio
    • 9/2009 - Attending Physician - Audie L. Murphy Veteran's Administration Medical Center, Neurology, San Antonio
    • 9/2009 - Associate Professor / Clinical - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Neurology, San Antonio
    • 9/2009 - Attending Physician - University Health System, Neurology, San Antonio

  • Instruction & Training

    • 9/2014 - Present, Epilepsy Journal Club, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
    • 1/2014 - Present, Individual Instruction, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
    • 9/2009 - Present, Lectures to Residents on EEG and Epilepsy Topics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio

  • Research & Grants

    Non-lesional Human Focal Epilepsy - My area of research interest is human focal non-lesional epilepsy (FNLE), with special attention to non-lesional frontal lobe epilepsy. FNLE is a challenging clinical problem, as the absence of a lesion is associated with a less favorable chance of achieving seizure freedom with epilepsy surgery. I therefore aim to contribute to the development of novel non-invasive diagnostic tools that could contribute to the success of epilepsy surgery. Over the last few years, I have developed a skillset in research imaging (functional MRI), which I have used to address questions in FNLE.

    Research profile

  • Service

    Institutional

    09/2014-Present Institutional Review Board (Member)
    08/2013-08/2015 Faculty Senate (Senator)

    National

    02/2016-Present International Relations Committee, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) Committee Member
    01/2016-Present National Practice Management Committee, American Epilepsy Society Committee Member
    01/2016-Present National Scientific Program Committee, American Epilepsy Society Committee Member

    Community

    11/2014-Present Patient Care Community Epilepsy Clinic, Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas (Physician)
    10/2010-Present Health Education South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center Symposium (Speaker)
    04/2010-Present Health Education Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas Annual Patient Conference (Coordinator)

  • Publications

      Abstract

      Karkar KM, Papanastassiou A, Szabo CA. Ultra-low amplitude irritative zone appeaers immediately after the end of focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures: an sEEG study. 2019 Dec. (Abstract No 2.011, 2019, American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, www.aesnet.org)

      Karkar KM, Cardenas D, Whitmire L, Cavazos JE. Postictal Generalized EEG Suppression (PGES) in a Prospective, Multicenter Trial of Subjects With Suspected Generalized Tonic-Clonic (GTC) Seizures 2018 Dec. (Abstract No 3.119, 2018, American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, www.aesnet.org)

       

       

  • Clinical

    Provider profile

    Board Certifications

    • 2014 - Subspecialty Certification in Epilepsy - American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
    • 2003 - Neurology Board Certification - American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology