The George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and the GW Medical Faculty Associates (GW MFA) is pleased to announce that Mohamad Koubeissi, MD, FAAN, FANA, FAES, professor of neurology, has been selected to serve as the chair of the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine. Koubeissi also serves as the Director of the Epilepsy Center at GWSMHS.
“After serving as interim chair for the past two years, Dr. Koubeissi has demonstrated that he has a bold vision for the advancement of the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine across all missions. He brings a strong record of innovation and academic accomplishment to this position, and I am confident he will bring outstanding leadership to this important discipline in our academic medical enterprise,” said Barbara L. Bass, MD, vice president for health affairs, dean of the GW SMHS, Walter A. Bloedorn Chair of Administrative Medicine, and professor of surgery.
As chair, Koubeissi will further expand the department’s faculty with expertise across a wide range of clinical, educational and research programs, working closely with SMHS and GW MFA leadership to identify opportunities for the department to excel.
In addition to serving as the director of the Epilepsy Center, which for years has earned the highest designation by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, Koubeissi also leads the annual GW Epilepsy Board Review Course and the world-renowned, monthly live-streamed GW Epilepsy Seminar Series. He holds the title of Fellow with the American Academy of Neurology, the American Neurological Association, and the American Epilepsy Society. He also has earned numerous other honors, including the 2012 Innovation Award from the School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University for his research on deep brain stimulation in epilepsy and is listed among Best Doctors in Neurology by Castle Connolly.
Koubeissi has lectured on the medical and surgical treatment of intractable epilepsy across the United States as well as in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. His research on consciousness and epilepsy was featured in a 2015 National Geographic documentary that aired around the world in more than 50 languages. He has published widely in peer reviewed literature and edited four books on epilepsy.
“Dr. Koubeissi’s unwavering commitment to excellence and strategic insight position him uniquely to lead the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine. I look forward to working in close partnership with him to advance critical initiatives that support the missions of the GW Medical Faculty Associates and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences,” said Bill Elliott, CEO of the GW MFA and Senior Associate Administrative Dean for Clinical Affairs, SMHS.
“It is an honor to step into this new role. I have greatly valued the collaboration and collegiality shared with my fellow faculty members, and I am confident that our strong working relationships will continue to thrive as we advance the department’s missions together,” said Koubeissi.
Koubeissi assumed the role of chair of the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine effective April 1, 2025.
