Vinita Acharya

Vinita Acharya, MD, is a Professor in the Department of Neurology at Penn State College of Medicine. She specializes in epilepsy, clinical neurophysiology, and medical education, with expertise in seizure semiology, epilepsy surgery, and genetic factors affecting epilepsy treatment.

• Penn State Neuroscience Institute
• Epilepsy and Neurology Leadership

Education:

• MD - T.N. Medical College, University of Bombay (1989)
• DM - T.N. Medical College, University of Bombay (1994)
• Neurology Residency - Saint Louis University and University of Texas Health Science Center
• Fellowships in Epilepsy and Neurosonology

Her research focuses on epilepsy surgery techniques (e.g., laser ablation, stereo-EEG), normalized transfer entropy for epileptogenic zone identification, and visual pathway characterization in epilepsy. She leads the "Characterizing the Visual Pathway in Epilepsy" project and participates in clinical trials for anti-seizure medicines and neurostimulation devices.

Scientific Awards:

• A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award (2022)
• Distinguished Educator Award (2022)
• Excellence in Education and Mentorship Award (2021)
• Penn State Commission for Women Faculty Mentoring Award (2021)

Dr. Acharya provides interdisciplinary care for epilepsy patients with psychiatric comorbidities and rare disorders (e.g., tuberous sclerosis, Cornelia de Lange syndrome). She has contributed to international stroke research and developed an International Stroke Registry concept.