Meriem K Bensalem-Owen, MD, FACNS, FANA, FAES
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Positions
- Professor of Neurology
- Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at UKHC
College Unit(s)
Biography and Education
Biography
Dr. Meriem Bensalem-Owen is a Professor of Neurology and Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at the University of Kentucky, which holds the highest accreditation (Level 4) from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC). She also holds the Robert and Jeanne Nyere Professorship in Epilepsy Research.
Dr. Bensalem-Owen played a pivotal role in the treatment of the first patients in Kentucky to receive a responsive neurostimulator (RNS) implant and a deep brain stimulator (DBS) device for epilepsy, respectively. She specializes in the care of adults with epilepsy, with a particular focus on drug-resistant epilepsy. Her clinical interests include surgical planning for epilepsy, the use of neurostimulation devices (RNS, DBS, and VNS), and the care of women with epilepsy during their reproductive years.
Driven by her passion for education, Dr. Bensalem-Owen founded Kentucky’s first and only accredited epilepsy fellowship training program.
In addition to her clinical work at a busy academic medical center, she is actively engaged in leadership roles within several professional organizations. She is the Immediate Past President of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) and currently chairs the Accreditation Committee of the NAEC. The NAEC includes over 300 member epilepsy centers across the United States. She is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the American Epilepsy Society (AES), ACNS, and the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society. She is a Fellow of the ACNS, AES, and the American Neurological Association (ANA).
Dr. Bensalem-Owen is deeply committed to raising epilepsy awareness and supporting individuals affected by seizures. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana (EFKY).
Meriem K. Bensalem-Owen, MD, FACNS, FANA, FAES
Professor of Neurology
Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at UKHC
Immediate Past-president of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS)
Faculty Awards
- 01/2020 National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) - Elected as Officer, Secretary and Treasurer
- 03/2021 Elected President of the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana (EFKY)
- 11/2021 Selected by the ACNS President to represent ACNS at the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Forum to Supporting and Promoting Women in Academic Neurology and Psychiatry.
- 12/2021 Chair of the NAEC Accreditation Committee
- 12/2021 Elected to serve on the Council of the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky
- 12/2021 Elected Second Vice President of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS)
- 12/2022 Appointed as Vice-chair of the American Epilepsy Society (AES) Professional Wellness in Epilepsy Special Interest Group
- 02/2022 Appointed by the UKHC Dean to the “Robert and Jeanne Nyere Professorship in Epilepsy Research” - Approved by the Board of Trustees on 12/13/2022. This term runs from 7/1/2022 to 6/30/2025.
- 04/2023 President of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS)
Education
Degree
Université d' Alger, Alger, Algeria
Residency
Neurology, University of Kentucky
Fellowship
Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor
Certifications and Special Training
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Epilepsy
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology
Fellow of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
Fellow of the American Neurological Association
Selected Publications
Villamar M, Cook A, Ke C, Xu Y, Clay J, Dolbec K, Ward-Mitchell R, Goldstein LB, Bensalem-Owen M. Status epilepticus alert reduces time to administration of second-line antiseizure medications. Neurol Clin Pract. 2018 Dec;8(6):486-491. PMID: 30588378
Fahy BG, Vasilopoulos T, Bensalem-Owen M, Chau DF. Evaluating an Interdisciplinary EEG Initiative on In-Training Examination EEG-Related Item Scores for Anesthesiology Residents. J Clin Neurophysiol. 2019 Mar;36(2):127-134. PMID: 30585908
Sally V. Mathias, Meriem Bensalem-Owen. Artifacts That Can Be Misinterpreted as Interictal Discharges. J Clin Neurophysiol. 2019 July;36: 264–274. PMID 31274689
Karakis I, Liu L, Bensalem-Owen M, LaRoche SM, Lopez JR, Schmitt SE, Britton JW, Nuwer MR, Lee LH, Rubin D, Laughlin RS, Sinha SR. Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Program Directors Survey on a Standardized Fellowship Match Process: A Call for Action. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology: April 14, 2021 - Volume Publish Ahead of Print. PMID 33878059
Ebong I, Haghighat Z, Bensalem-Owen M. Approach to Loss of Consciousness: Distinguishing Epileptic Seizures, Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures, and Syncope. Semin Neurol. Dec 2021; 41(6):667-672. PMID: 34826870
Pervin S, Jicha GA, Bensalem-Owen M, Mathias SV. Incident epilepsy in the cognitively normal geriatric population, irrespective of seizure control, impairs quality of life. Epilepsy Behav. Dec 2021;126:108457. PMID: 34883464
Adam P. Ostendorf, Stephanie M. Ahrens, Fred Alexander Lado, Susan T. Arnold, Shasha Bai, Meriem K Bensalem Owen, Kevin E Chapman, Dave F Clarke, Mariah Eisner, Nathan B Fountain, Johanna M. Gray, Jennifer L. Hopp, Ellen Riker, Stephan U. Schuele, Barbara V Small, and Susan T. Herman. United States Epilepsy Center Characteristics: An Analysis of Data From the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. Neurology. Feb 2022, 98 (5) e449-e458. PMID: 34880093
Ahrens SM, Ostendorf AP, Lado FA, Arnold ST, Bai S, Bensalem-Owen MK, Chapman KE, Clarke DF, Eisner M, Fountain NB, Gray JM, Gunduz MT, Hopp JL, Riker E, Schuele SU, Small B, Herman ST. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Epilepsy Center Practice in the United States. Neurology. 2022 May 10;98(19):e1893-e1901. PMID: 35292559
Clay JL, Villamar MF, Bensalem-Owen MK. Comments on "Pharmacist involvement with antiepileptic therapy for status epilepticus in the emergency department". Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Sep 28:S0735-6757(22). PMID: 36192245
Karakis I, Liu L, Bensalem-Owen M, LaRoche S, Lopez J, Schmitt S, Britton J, Nuwer M, Lee L, Rubin D, Laughlin R, Sinha S. Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Program Directors Survey on a Standardized Fellowship Match Process: A Call for Action. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology: Nov 2022; 39 (7):561-566. PMID: 33878059
Nascimento F, Friedman D, Peters J, Bensalem-Owen M, Cendes F, Rampp S, Wirrell E, Blümcke I, Tatum W, Beniczky S. Focal Epilepsies: Update on Identification and Classification. Epileptic Disorders. Seminar in Epileptology. Epileptic Disord. 2023 Feb;25(1):1-17. PMID: 36938903
Bae1 J, Clay JL, Raj Thapa B, Powell D, Turpin H, Tasori S Tasori Partovi, Ward-Mitchell R, Krishnan B, Koupparis A, Bensalem Owen M, Raslau FD. Equipment Setup and Artifact Removal for Simultaneous Electroencephalogram and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Clinical Review in Epilepsy. J Vis Exp. 2023 Jun 23;(196). doi: 10.3791/64919. PMID: 37427958.
Ainger T. J., Bensalem-Owen M, Fong-Isariyawongse J, Luedke M.W. “Of Hearth and Home: Professional Wellness After Hours.” Epilepsy Currents, January 1, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/15357597241237375
Bensalem-Owen MK. Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Management of Epilepsy. Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2025 Feb 1;31(1):214-231. doi: 10.1212/CON.0000000000001531. PMID: 39899102.
Clay JL, Youssefi JL, Bensalem-Owen MK. General Principles of Medical Treatment. Semin Neurol. 2025 Apr;45(2):180-188. doi: 10.1055/a-2568-9482. Epub 2025 Apr 28. PMID: 40294606.
Lamberta LK, Asmar M, Fredwall MM, Ahrens SM, Bai S, Eisner M, Lado FA, Schuele SU, Clarke DF, Abdelmoity AT, Davis KA, Hopp JL, Koubeissi MZ, Bensalem Owen MK, Herman ST, Ostendorf AP; NAEC Center Director Study Group. Status Epilepticus Protocol Variation Across Accredited National Association of Epilepsy Centers Members. Neurology. 2025 Jun 10;104(11):e213689. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000213689. Epub 2025 May 16. PMID: 40378375.