Micheal P Macken

Micheal P Macken, MD serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology within Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. His clinical practice focuses on adult epilepsy management at multiple Northwestern Medicine hospitals including Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

His educational credentials include:

• MD from University College Galway (1990)
• Internship in Medicine and Surgery at University College Hospital, Galway (1991)
• Residency in Neurology at Cleveland Clinic (1998)
• Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic (2000)

Dr. Macken specializes in medically refractory epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome in adults, and advanced neuromodulation therapies. His research integrates pharmacology of antiseizure medications with cutting-edge techniques including Stereo-EEG, intra-cranial EEG, and brain mapping. He actively develops educational frameworks for epilepsy surgery and neuromodulation device management while maintaining clinical expertise in intra-operative neurophysiologic monitoring.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a concentrated research trajectory advancing vagus nerve stimulation therapies, particularly microburst VNS paradigms. His work bridges clinical neurophysiology with practical treatment optimization, examining functional connectivity changes, feasibility of novel stimulation approaches, and evidence-based titration strategies for drug-resistant epilepsy patients.

Board certifications highlight his specialized expertise:

• Neurology and Epilepsy (American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology)
• Intraoperative Neuromonitoring, Critical Care EEG, Epilepsy Monitoring, and Advanced Central Clinical Neurophysiology (American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology)

Dr. Macken contributes to medical education across undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels while serving on key committees including the Epic Adult Neurology Steering Board (2024-present) and North American Neuromodulation Society Education Committee (2023-present). His industry collaborations with LivaNova, UCB Pharma, and others focus on epilepsy therapeutics development and clinical trial design.