TOPICS & SPEAKERS
IN-PERSON
Emerging Technologies for Diagnosis and Treatment of Epilepsy with Dr. Jerry Shih
Medication Updates with Kim Tallian, PharmD
Surgery for Epilepsy with Dr. David Gonda
Cognitive and Memory Strategies: How Epilepsy Impacts Brain Function with Dr. Marc Norman
VIRTUAL (VIDEO RECORDINGS)
•Adult Epilepsy 101 with Dr. Abraham Chyung
•Pediatric Epilepsy 101 with Dr. Neggy Rismanchi
•Epilepsy Treatment Options with Dr. Olivia Kim-McManus
•Women With Epilepsy with Monsita Faley, DNP, FNP-BC
•Legal Rights with Lauren Giardina, J.D.
•Ketogenic Diet Therapies for Intractable Epilepsy with Vanessa Aldaz, MPH, RDN, CDCES
Registration Includes:
Access to Both In-Person and Virtual Topics
Free On-Site Parking
Shaded Outdoor Venue
Coffee and Refreshments
Q&A with Professional Speakers
Guided Meditation Exercise
Opportunity Drawing for Prizes
Information About No-Cost Programs and Services
Access to Vendors and Resources
Vendors & Resources:
Challenged Sailors San Diego
Providing therapeutic and recreational adaptive sailing opportunities for people with disabilities to enhance their dignity, well-being and independence.
Cross Roots Fresh Cold-Pressed Juice
Cold-presses the freshest organic ingredients from local farms to create raw juice and delivers it to your doorstep. Samples available.
Kate Recore, Author of Brain Storm: An Electrifying Journey
At the age of 23, Kate began having seizures in her sleep. Kate’s inspiring story leads us along her path through seizures to acceptance and wellness. Her journey continues, as she endeavors to bring awareness to the dangers of misdiagnosis, and to eliminate the lingering misconception about epilepsy. Signed book copies available for purchase.
Exploring the theme Advances in Epilepsy: Innovations, Progress & Emerging Treatments, the Epilepsy Education Conference will take place on July 11, 2026, at Our Lady of Peace and will highlight the latest breakthroughs transforming epilepsy care.
This conference will explore the evolving landscape of epilepsy treatment—from advanced surgical procedures and emerging devices to new medications, rescue therapies, genetics, and clinical trials shaping the future of care. Through expert-led presentations and panels, attendees will gain timely, evidence-based insight into how innovation and research continue to improve outcomes and quality of life for people living with epilepsy.
Healthcare providers, researchers, parents and caregivers, and individuals with epilepsy are invited to come together to learn, share, and connect—highlighting the importance of patient-centered care and community collaboration in advancing epilepsy treatment and support.
Funds raised through the Epilepsy Education Conference will support year-round education and awareness initiatives, seizure recognition and first aid training, and access to specialty and supportive services—provided at no cost to the more than 50,000 people in San Diego County impacted by epilepsy.
EVENT AGENDA | EPILEPSY EDUCATION CONFERENCE 2026
9:00 am Registration and Sponsor Marketplace Open. Light Breakfast Served.
10:00 am Welcome – Rick Burritt, CEO
10:05 am Dr. Kim Tallian Memorial Keynote: Amanda Gooding, Ph.D., ABPP-CN (Neuropsychologist)
10:30 am Break
10:35 am Panelists featuring Taha Gholipour, M.D. (Epileptologist), Arjun Khanna, M.D. (Neurosurgeon), Olivia Kim-McManus, M.D. (Pediatric Epileptologist), Jerry Shih, M.D. (Neurologist); facilitated by Sarah Waters, MSW, ASW. *Additional panelists to be announced.
11:45 am Sponsor Marketplace and Networking. Lunch Served.
12:30 pm Q&A with Panelists; facilitaed by Sarah Waters, MSW, ASW
1:45 pm Closing Remarks
2026 KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND PANELISTS
*Additional panelists to be announced.
Amanda Gooding, Ph.D, ABPP-CN.
Dr. Gooding is this year’s Dr. Kim Tallian Memorial Keynote Speaker.
Amanda Gooding, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurological and psychiatric disorders.
She evaluates cognitive and emotional functioning in individuals with epilepsy, brain tumors, dementia, and other memory and neurodevelopmental disorders. She also provides assessments for patients who are recovering from stroke, concussion, or other traumatic brain injury.
In addition to neuropsychological evaluations, Dr. Gooding conducts pre and postsurgical evaluations for the epilepsy and brain tumor neurosurgery teams. These include Wada testing (also known as an intracarotid amobarbital procedure) to identify the areas of a person’s brain that control language and memory functioning. She also performs intraoperative (awake) language testing for patients during surgery to help preserve speech and language abilities. She works with the UC San Diego Center for Transplantation to provide psychological evaluations for patients being considered for liver, heart or kidney transplantation.
Her research is focused on improving postoperative cognitive and functional outcomes in individuals who have had brain surgery. She is also interested in advancing intraoperative brain mapping techniques, as well as investigations related to cross-cultural neuropsychology.
She completed a neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. She completed a clinical psychology internship at UC San Diego School of Medicine and earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at Fordham University in New York.
Dr. Gooding is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, the American Psychological Association, the International Neuropsychological Society, and the American Epilepsy Society.
Taha Gholipour, M.D.
Taha Gholipour, MD, is a neurologist who specializes in treating epilepsy and related seizure disorders. His clinical interests include the management and treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. He works with a multidisciplinary team to design personalized surgical treatment plans, including minimally invasive surgeries and neurostimulation devices. He also has expertise in diagnosing and coordinating the care for patients with non-epileptic seizures, autoimmune conditions contributing to seizures, and young adults with childhood-onset epilepsy.
As an associate professor in the Department of Neurosciences, Dr. Gholipour instructs medical students and residents at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Gholipour’s research interests include using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to improve the treatment of epilepsy, and to achieve a better understanding of how epilepsy affects the human brain.
Before moving to San Diego, Dr. Gholipour was a neurologist and faculty member at The George Washington University, serving patients in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. Dr. Gholipour received specialized training in the treatment of epilepsy by doing a fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He completed his internship and neurology residency at Massachusetts General and Brigham Hospitals, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Gholipour obtained his medical degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. He is board certified in neurology and epilepsy.
Arjun Khanna, MD. Dr. Arjun Khanna is a functional and stereotactic neurosurgeon who specializes in the treatment of patients with epilepsy, movement disorders, cranial nerve compression syndromes, and pain syndromes, as well as advanced brain mapping techniques to safely remove tumors and other lesions that are closely intertwined with critical areas of the brain that control speech, language, movement and sensation.
He is also an assistant professor of neurological surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine, where he is actively involved in training medical students and neurosurgical residents. He conducts research on the neural basis of cognition, with the goal of better understanding, protecting and restoring cognition when it is threatened by neurological disease.
Dr. Khanna completed a fellowship in functional and stereotactic neurosurgery at Stanford University Medical Center, and his residency in neurological surgery was at Massachusetts General Hospital. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School.
Olivia Kim-McManus, M.D.
Olivia Kim-McManus, M.D., is a board-certified child neurologist and physician-scientist funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). She specializes in the care of infants, children and adolescents with neurological disorders, particularly epilepsy and medically refractory epilepsy.
She has extensive expertise in epilepsy, clinical trials, clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy surgery, including invasive intracranial EEG monitoring and intraoperative electrocorticography. Dr. Kim-McManus serves as an associate professor in the UC San Diego Department of Neurosciences and the ACGME pediatric epilepsy fellowship director.
Dr. Kim-McManus primarily cares for patients at Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego and directs the Rady Precision Therapeutics Neuro-Interventional Program. Her work focuses on the development and delivery of novel genetic therapies for rare epilepsies and neurodegenerative disorders, intracranial EEG monitoring and advanced epilepsy surgery.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in neurosciences from Columbia University and her medical degree from The George Washington University School of Medicine/Children’s National Medical Center. She completed residencies in pediatrics and neurology at USC Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, followed by fellowships in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at the University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Kim-McManus is triple board certified in neurology with special qualification in child neurology, epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology.
Jerry Shih, MD. Dr. Jerry Shih is a board-certified neurologist who specializes in diagnosing and treating people with epilepsy. He directs UC San Diego Health’s Level 4 Epilepsy Center, which provides the highest level of care to people with epilepsy and other seizure disorders, and is the only nationally designated adult epilepsy center in the region. The Comprehensive Epilepsy Program offers state-of-the-art neurodiagnostic monitoring and neuroimaging for diagnosing complex epilepsy conditions, and advanced medical and surgical treatment options. Dr. Shih’s expertise and interest is in managing the care of patients with refractory epilepsy, or seizures that are not controlled with medications.
As a Professor in the Department of Neurosciences, Dr. Shih instructs medical students, residents, and fellows. His research focuses on cell therapy and new medical and surgical treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy.
Dr. Shih has authored or co-authored numerous book chapters and abstracts, and over 100 peer-reviewed articles.
With your help, The Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County improves the lives of people affected by epilepsy through education, advocacy, research, and connection.
Our wide array of programs and services serve people living with epilepsy, families, friends and caregivers.
All of our programs and services are offered at no-cost.
