Barbara C. Jobst

Barbara C. Jobst, MD, PhD, is a Professor and Chair of Neurology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where she also serves as the Louis and Ruth Frank Endowed Professor of Neurosciences. She is Section Chief in the Adult Neurology Department at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), Director of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Epilepsy Center, and Director of the Epilepsy and Cognition (ECog) Lab. Her leadership extends to national roles, including Chair of the American Epilepsy Society meeting and editorial board membership for Neurology and Epilepsy.

Education:

• B.S., 1986
• M.D., 1993
• Dr.med (German PhD equivalent), 1995

Her research focuses on clinical epileptology, central neurophysiology, epilepsy surgery, brain stimulation, human cortical electrophysiology, and the electrophysiological correlates of cognition. She is particularly known for her work on responsive neurostimulation and cognitive deficits in epilepsy. Her clinical interests include the treatment of cognitive disability in epilepsy patients and imaging in epilepsy.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend in memory, cognition, and neuromodulation in epilepsy. Her work integrates intracranial electrophysiology with closed-loop brain stimulation to improve memory and cognitive function, often using the RNS System. These studies span basic neural mechanisms, translational models, and public health applications, particularly through the CDC-funded Managing Epilepsy Well Network.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Louis and Ruth Frank Endowed Professor of Neurosciences
• Graduate, Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM)
• Board of Trustees, Dartmouth-Hitchcock

Dr. Jobst has been a principal investigator on multiple major grants, including from the NIH, CDC, DARPA, and Neuropace Inc. She mentors several trainees, including Stephen Meisenhelter, Ashlee Robbins, and Robert Quon. She has led the development of the HOBSCOTCH cognitive-behavioral program for memory problems in epilepsy and has established several clinical and research programs at DHMC, such as the Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring Program and the Women’s Seizure Clinic.

She leads the Epilepsy and Cognition (ECog) Lab at DHMC, which conducts translational research using human intracranial recordings and neurostimulation to study memory and cognition. Her team is actively involved in multi-center clinical trials and public health initiatives focused on epilepsy self-management and cognitive outcomes.