Biography

Berge A. Minassian, M.D., is a pediatric neurologist who practices at Children’s Health℠. Dr. Minassian specializes in the expert diagnosis, care and study of children who have epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases and neurogenetic conditions.

Dr. Minassian leads the Neurosciences Center at Children’s Health and is the Divisin Chief of the Pediatric Neurology Division at UT Southwestern. He also serves on the faculty of the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern.

During much of his career, Dr. Minassian has been fascinated with neurogenetics, the role of genes in the development and function of the nervous system.

His special interests include Lafora disease, a severe form of epilepsy for which Dr. Minassian’s lab discovered the genes. He also has a special interest in adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD), a rare condition which affects the nervous system.

Dr. Minassian earned his medical degree from McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal and performed a neurology residency at West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He then completed clinical and postdoctoral research fellowships at the University of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, where he focused on pediatric neurology, epileptology, and molecular genetics and neurogenetics.

Dr. Minassian is a neurology fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He has received many professional honors including the Jacob's Ladder 2014 Norman Saunders International Research Prize for Outstanding Scientist and the American Academy of Neurology 2007 Dreifuss-Penry Epilepsy Award.

Dr. Minassian with colleague Dr. Steven Gray is leading the development of a Gene Therapy Program at UT Southwestern in collaboration with Children’s Health. This transformative program will aim to bring gene replacement therapy to numerous genetic brain diseases of children.

Biography