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Charles Szabo | UT Health San Antonio

Contact

szabo@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Research

Research profile

Clinical

Provider profile

Charles A Szabo, MD

Professor

Chief of Epilepsy

Charles Ákos Szabó, MD, FAES & FAAN, is Professor of Neurology, and serves as the Chief of Epilepsy. He is also Co-Director of the South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, which has the highest (Level 4) accreditation by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers and as the Medical Director of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.

Dr. Szabó is a graduate of the University of Vienna Medical School (Vienna, Austria), and completed his Neurology Residency and Epilepsy Fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Cleveland, Ohio). Since his arrival at UT Health San Antonio in 1996, he led the growth of a successful epilepsy surgery program, and was involved in the early development of the Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship. He served as Interim Chair of the Department of Neurology during its transition from being a division of Medicine. Extramurally, he participated on several committees at the American Epilepsy Society, he is medical director of the outreach clinics of the Epilepsy Foundation of Central and South Texas (EFCST), he served on the national Professional Advisory Board (PAB) of the Epilepsy Foundation of America and currently co-chairs the local PAB. He is also the CME Director for Southern Epilepsy and EEG Society, the last remaining regional EEG chapter in the United States.

In addition to his clinical and research interests, Dr. Szabo has been a research mentor to several residents and fellows, who have published case reports, chapters and manuscripts. He had also mentored graduate students from UT San Antonio and local high school students. His own research interests range from clinical epilepsy/epilepsy surgery to the characterization of baboon model for genetic generalized epilepsy, which he has led at the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC; San Antonio, Texas). One important area of overlap between his clinical and translational research interests is Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. In addition to the researchers at the SNPRC, he enjoys active collaborations with researchers at UTRGV, UTSA, NYU, and the newly founded UT Epilepsy Research Consortium.

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 1989 - MD - Medicine - University of Vienna Medical School
    • 1984 - BA - Mathematics - Haverford College
    • 1980 - BA - American International School

    Training

    • 1996 - Postdoctoral Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic Foundation
    • 1994 - Residency - Neurology - Cleveland Clinic Foundation
    • 1991 - Internship - Medicine - St. Luke's Hospital
    • 1990 - Internship - Medicine - Muhimbili Hospital
    • 1989 - Internship - Medicine - State University of New York

    Highlights

    01/2018 Fellow: Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology
    01/2018 Fellow: Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society (FAES)

    Appointments

    • 1/2016 - Adjunct Scientist - Texas Biomedical Research InstituteSan Antonio
    • 1/2014 - CME Director - Southern Epilepsy and EEG Society
    • 9/2010 - Professor - UTHSCSA, Neurology, San Antonio
    • 6/2009 - Chief of Epilepsy - UTHSCSA, Neurology, San Antonio
    • 9/2005 - Co-Director of the South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center - UTHSCSA/UHS/AMVAH, Neurology, San Antonio
    • 9/2003 - Director of Epilepsy Surgery Program - University Health SystemSan Antonio

  • Instruction & Training

    • 9/2015 - Present, Epilepsy Lecture for 3rd Year Med Students, UTHealth SA
    • 1/2012 - Present, Rotation Student Supervision, UTHSCSA
    • 9/1996 - Present, UHS
    • 9/1996 - Present, UTHSCSA
    • 9/1996 - Present, UHS/AMVAH

  • Research & Grants

    Research profile

    Grants

    State

    Period: 04/2021-01/2029
    Funding Agency: UT Health Houston
    Title: Study of wearable devices to monitor the person with epilepsy.  Seizure related physiological changes and its clinical significance.  
    Role: Principal Investigator 

     

    Federal

    Period: 7/2018-01/2029
    Funding Agency: NIH/NINDS
    Title: Retrospecctive SUDEP at Epilepsy Centerse: A Case-Control Study   
    Role Principal Investigator

    Period: 3/2021-01/2029
    Funding Agency: NIH/NINDS
    Title: Retrospecctive Human Epilepsy Project 3   
    Role Principal Investigator

     

    Private

    Period: 6/20201-06/2022
    Funding Agency: Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Title: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of XEN1101 as AdjunctiveTherapy in Focal-onset 
    Role: Principal Investigator

    Period: 8/2018-10/2019
    Agency: LivaNova, Inc.
    Title: Regional CBF Differences Bertween High-Frequency Microburst and Standard Low-Frequency VNS Therapy: A Pilot Study
    Role: Principal Investigator 

  • Service

    Department

    09/2009-Present Finance Committee, UTHSCSA, Neurology (Member)
    01/2007-Present Departmental P & T Committee, UTHSCSA, Medicine, Neurology (Member)

    Institutional

    01/2018-Present Clinical and Translational Science Award (Reviewer)
    01/2016-Present CBN (Reviewer)
    10/2015-09/2017 Alzheimer's Neurodegenerative Disease-UTHSCSA (Co-Director)
    01/2014-Present Neuroscience Strategy & Program Development (Board Member)
    01/2012-Present STRF Neuroscience Director (Search Committee Member)
    09/2009-Present Grant Reviewer for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (Reviewer)
    08/2005-Present Co-Director of the South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center

    Service to the Profession

    01/2008-Present         Southern Epilepsy and EEG Society  
    01/1998-2021             Texas Neurological Society  
    01/1997-2011              Bexar County Medical Society   
    01/1997-Present         Hungarian Medical Association of America  
    01/1994-Present         American Epilepsy Society   
    01/1991-Present         American Academy of Neurology   

    National

    01/2010-Present Ad hoc reviewer for the Mind Science Foundation
    12/2007-Present Professional Advisory Board, National Epilepsy Foundation of America (Board Member)
    06/2003-Present Southern Epilepsy & EEG Conference (Organizing Committee Member)
    01/2000-Present Southern Epilepsy & EEG Society (Board Member)

    Community

    01/2016-Present First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio (Co-Chair)
    09/2006-Present 4th Annual Epilepsy Symposium (Director)
    01/2000-Present Medical Director of STCEC clinics, Epilepsy Foundation of Central and South Texas (Director)
    2018-2019 Southern Epilepsy and EEG Society (President)

    Global

    01/2009-Present Ad hoc reviewer of a grant for International Foundation Francaise Pour La Recherch sur L‘epilepie. (Reviewer)
    01/1998-Present International Ad hoc reviewer for Epilepsia, Epilepsy Research, Journal of Neurology Neurosugery, Psychiatry Research, JAMA Neurology, Pharmaco-Therap (Reviewer)

  • Publications

       

       

      Abstract

      Karkar KM, Szabo CA. Probing The Post-ictal Stereo EEG After For Indirect Localizing Inofrmation After Focal To Bilateral Tonic-Clonic Seizures 2019 Dec. (Presented at American Epilepsy Society Meeting. Baltimore,MD)

      Eslami V, Molina K, Szabo CA. Factors Associated with Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) in South Texas: Compliance and Obesity. 2019 Dec. (Presented at American Epilepsy Society Meeting, Baltimore, MD)

      Suchita IA, Eslami V, Szabo CA. Do SUDEP Biomarkers Change Over Time? 2019 Dec. (Presented at American Epilepsy Society Meeting, Baltimore, MD)

      Szabo CA, Akopian M, Gonzalez D, De La Gara M, Carless M. Cardiac Biomarkers for SUDEP In The Epileptic Baboon 2019 Dec. (Presented at American Epilepsy Society Meeting, Baltimore, MD)

      Szabo CA, Franklin C, Klipsic D, Jerabek P, Salinas FS. Cerebral Blood Flow Differences Between High- vs Low-Frequency VNS Therapy In The Epileptic Baboon 2019 Jun. (Presented at the International Epilepsy Congress, Bangkok, Thailand)

      Eslami, V, Morgan LC, Emamzadehfard, S, Hundal, A, Suchita I, Szabo CA. "Characteristics of Interventional Epilepsy Clinical Trials During the Last Decade " American Academy of Neurology; 2019 Apr. (Neurology; vol. 92, no. 15)

      Sepulveda R, Halavacs, Begley C, Chong J, Shegog R, Addy R, Martin K, Szabó CÁ , Torres M, Labiner D. MINDSET: Feasibility of Clinic-based Epilepsy Self-Management Training for Hispanic Patients. 2017 Dec. (71st American Epilepsy Society Meeting)

      Adhikari I, Szabó CÁ. Atypical, De Novo Focal Motor Seizures Induced by Vigabatrin 2017 Dec. (71st American Epilepsy Society Meeting)

      Suchita IA, Rashid S, Morgan LC, Karkar KM, Lie OV, Leary LD, Adhikari I, Szabo CA.. Electroclinical and historical features related to response to AEDs in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. 2017 Dec. (Abstract No 3.197, American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, www.aesnet.org)

      De La Garza M, Poldiak D, Shade R, Papanastassiou AM, Szabó CÁ. Cardiac and Respiratory Changes in Epileptic Baboons with “microburst” VNS Therapy. 2017 Dec. (71st American Epilepsy Society Meeting)

      Szabó CÁ, Hasulak N, Ram V, De La Garza M, Shade R, Cun Li, Papanastassiou AM Salinas.. Responsive Neurostimulation in the Epileptic Baboon: A Pilot Study 2017 Dec. (71st American Epilepsy Society Meeting)

      Salinas FS and Szabó CÁ. Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in the Baboon Model of Genetic Generalized Epilepsy 2017 Sep. (32nd International Epilepsy Congress)

      Szabó CÁ, Salinas FS, Papanastassiou AM, Shade R, Lutz C, De La Garza M. High-Frequency Microburst Vagal Nerve Simulation Therapy in a Natural Primate Model of Genetic Generalized Epilepsy 2017 Sep. (32nd International Epilepsy Congress)

       

      Book Chapter

      Szabo CA, Hantus, S, Pohlmann, B. Epilepsy in the Setting of Cerebrovascular Disease (in print) In: Wyllie E, Gidal B, Goodkin H, Loddenkemper T, Jehi L. Wyllie’s Treatment of Epilepsy, 7e,. 2020

      Szabó CÁ and Salinas FS.. Baboon Model of Genetic Generalized Epilepsy. In: Pitkänen A, Buckmaster PS, Galanopolous AS, Moshe SL (eds). Models of Seizures and Epilepsy In: Szabó CÁ and Salinas FS.. Models of Seizures and Epilepsy. 2017. p. 427 - 440

       

      Journal Article

      De La Garza MA, Poldiak D, Shade R, Salinas FS, Papanastassiou AM, Szabo CA. Cardiac Changes In Epileptic Baboons With High-Frequency Microburst VNS Therapy: A Pilot Study Epilepsy Research 2019 Sep:155

      Croll L, Szabo CA, About-Madi N, Devinksy O. Epilepsy In Non-Human Primates Epilepsia 2019 Aug;60(8):1526-1538

      Gowda S, Szabo CA,. Effects of Ketamine on EEG In Baboons With Genetic Generalized Epilepsy Epilepsy Research 2019 Aug;154:50-54

      Luders H, Akamatsu N, Amina S, Baumgartner C, Benbadis S, Bermeo-Ovalle A, Bleasel A, Bozorgi A, Carreno M, Devereaux M, Fernandez-Baca Vaca G, Francine S, Garcia Losarcos N, Hamer H, Holthausen H, Jamal Omidi S, Kalamangalam G, Kanner A, Knake S, Lacuey N, Lhatoo S, Lim SH, Mani J, Matsumoto R, Miller J, Noachtar S, Palmini A, Park J, Rosenow F, Shahid A, Schuele S, Steinhoff B, Szabo CA, Tandon N, Terada K, Van Emde Boas W, Widdess-Walsh, Kahane P. Critique of the 2017 Epileptic Seizure and Epilepsy Classification Epilepsia 2019 Jun;60(6):1032-1039

      Szabo CA, Akopian M, Gonzalez DA, De La Garza M, Carless MA. Cardiac Biomarkers For SUDEP In The Epileptic Baboon Epilepsia 2019 May

      Szabo CA, Garvin RE, Hafeez S, Seifi A, Leary LD, Bhavaraju-Sanka RK, Henry JM, Papanastassiou AM. Adult-Onset Rasmussen’s Syndrome with Associated Cortical Dysplasia Epilepsy and Behav Case Reports 2018 Nov;11:54-57

      Salinas FS and Szabó CÁ.. Resting-state functional connectivity changes due to acute and short-term valproic acid administration in the baboon model of GGE. NeuroImage Clin 2017 Feb;16:132-141

      Szabo CA, Salinas FS, Papanastassiou AM, Begnaud J, Ravan M, Eggleston KS, Shade R, Lutz C, De La Garza M. High-frequency burst vagal nerve stimulation therapy in a natural primate model of genetic generalized epilepsy Epilepsy Res2017;138:46-52

       

  • Clinical

    Provider profile

    Board Certifications

    • 2016 - Diplomate-American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Added Qualifications in Epilepsy
    • 1996 - American Board of P&N/Clinical Neurophysiology