Merab Kokaia - Curriculum Vitae#
EDUCATION
- 1998 Docent Degree, Experimental Neurology, Lund University, Sweden
- 1991 Habilitation Degree (Doctor of Biological Sciences), Neuroscience, Institute of Physiology, Georgian Academy of Sciences, USSR
- 1983 PhD Degree (Candidate of Biological Sciences) Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Georgian Academy of Sciences, USSR
- 1978 BA in Biology, Tbilisi State University, Georgia, USSR
CURRENT POSITIONS
- 2008 - Professor at the Division of Neurology, Dept. Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden
- 2011 - Professor at Chavchavadze State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
- 2013 - Director of Epilepsy Center, Dept. Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden
- 2013 - 2018 Coordinator of EC FP7 Large Collaborative Project EPITARGET
PREVIOUS POSITIONS
- 2002 - 2008 Associate Professor (Lektor), Division of Neurology, Dept. Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden
- 1996 – 2002 Assistant Professor (Forskarassistent), Division of Neurology, Dept. Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden
- 1996 Postdoc, Prof. Dimitri Kullmann's laboratory, Dept. Neurology, University College London, UK
- 1991 – 1996 Postdoc, Division of Neurology, Dept. Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden
SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
16 PhD students, 12 Postdocs, and more than 26 graduate students
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
- Ongoing: Medical School at LU, T2 Course NoR, tutor since more than 10 y
- Ongoing: Course Director and lecturer for Biomedicine Masters program, Course BIM22, since more than 10 y
- 2017 International Epilepsy Summer School, VENICE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, since more than 10y, (every third year).
- 2015 Latin American Summer School on Epilepsy (LASSE) Sao Paulo, Brazil
- 2009 Neuroscience School in Trieste, Italy
- 2008 – Baltic summer Schools, different locations, multiple times
- Neuroscience School at the Karolinska institute, Stockholm, Sweden (multiple times)
ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
- 2014 European Congress on Epileptology, Stockholm, Sweden - member of scientific organising committee, Responsible for the Basic Research part.
- 2014 Segerfalk symposium, Lund, Sweden - member of scientific organising committee
- 2012 Svenska Epilepsisällskapets (SES) Workshop - Chair of scientific organising committee
- Multiple symposia and sessions at various international neuroscience and epilepsy meetings and congresses
- Multiple symposia and workshops in relation to EU Funded Consortia Annual meetings
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- 2013 – Director of Epilepsy Center, Lund University, Sweden
COMMISSIONS OF TRUST
- Board member of Svenska Epilepsisällskapet, Sweden
- Neurobiology Commission of International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)
- Dissemination Taskforce Co-Chair, International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)
MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES
- Elected Member of Royal Physiographic Society in Lund
MAJOR COLLABORATIONS
- Co-ordinator of EC FP7 Large Collaborative Project EPITARGET (18 groups in Europe and Israel), Stanford University, Prof. Karl Deisseroth, since 2006 - Optogenetics
INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSIGNMENTS:
- Epilepsy Research (Associate Editor)
- Epilepsia (Editorial Board Member)
- Epilepsy Research and Treatment (Editorial Board Member)
- Frontiers in Neuroscience (Invited Editor)
CURRENT GRANTS:
Vetenskapsrådet , EC FP7 EPITARGET (2013-2018, 12 mil €, Coordinator), EC Marie Curie grant Train4CRS, 2016-2020), SOEB (2017-2020, 1.5 mil kr), Hjärnfonden (2017-2018) and multiple other grants.
EXPERT REVIEWER
- Nature Biotechnology
- Nature Neuroscience
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Brain, and many others
PUBLICATIONS
More than 125, including book chapters and reviews
PATENTS
- Use of nucleic acid sequences for the treatment of neurological and phychiatric diseases, vectors and compositions. EU Patent number: EP2046394 (2014)
- Use of nucleic acid sequences for the treatment of epilepsy. US patent number: 8,901,094 (2014)
- Treatment of cerebral ischemia and cerebral damage with neuroprotective agents. US patent number: 5,972,924 (1999)