Committees

Graeme Shears is the Chief Executive Officer of the Epilepsy Foundation and is passionate about improving the lives of people living with epilepsy. He brings both professional expertise and personal commitment to his role, with a brother who lives with epilepsy.

Before joining the Epilepsy Foundation in 2008, Graeme had a successful career in manufacturing and management consulting. He holds a Bachelor of Business degree and completed the executive leadership programme Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management at Harvard University.

Graeme is also a co-author of several important publications, including The Social Context of Anxiety and Depression: Exploring the Role of Anxiety and Depression in the Lives of Australian Adults with Epilepsy, Management of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy (PTE): An Evidence Review Over the Last 5 Years and Future Directions, and A Fair Go for People Living with Epilepsy in Australia.

Founding President of EDYCS Epilepsy Group Mauritius, Youssouf Noormamode has served as Chair and Vice-Chair of the IBE African Regional Committee for over a decade. Notable accomplishments include championing the ratification of IGAP in Africa, engaging in impactful policy dialogues, and contributing to the recognition of epilepsy in the African Union African Disability Protocol. As Chairperson of the Africa Disability Alliance Youssouf advocates for the adoption and domestication of the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under the ARADI continental project, supported by EU/CBM.

Elvira Vacas Montero has a criminology degree and an inquiring mind. She is finishing a degree in International Political Science and is passionate about social phenomena and people. In 2018, her son was diagnosed with an epileptic encephalopathy after encephalitis. It was the diagnostic delay, loneliness, lack of information and the idea that she would never give in to conformism and resignation that led her to chair the Spanish Epilepsy Federation (FEDE) and the Spanish Epileptic Encephalopathy Association POCS. She leads projects such as Epiforward and EpiAlliance and advocates for a European integration project that can face greater global challenges.

Deirdre Floyd will serve her second term as Vice President of North America. Diagnosed with epilepsy at 14, has been an advocate both locally and nationally, serving as the local association’s Vice Chair and President, the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance’s President, and chairing the Purple Day for Epilepsy campaign. She has won many awards for her volunteer service over the years, including the Nova Scotia ‘Women of Excellence’ award, which recognizes women who have helped people within their community achieve successful outcomes for charity work.

Dr. Anchor Tak Fung Hung, a registered social worker in Hong Kong SAR, China, holds Master’s degrees in Public Health and Disability Studies and a Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on Hong Kong’s private elderly homes. Currently, she is the Assistant Project Director at The University of Hong Kong’s Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, leading an innovative community pharmacy project. With more than twenty years of experience, her contributions have been significant, serving as an honorary advisor for the Hong Kong Epilepsy Association and the Epilepsy Foundation of Hong Kong, and as a co-founder and director of Hong Kong’s Health and Social Exchange. She has contributed to many improvements for individuals with epilepsy. Her dedication also resulted in the successful redefinition of the term for epilepsy in Hong Kong’s Chinese language, fostering greater comprehension of the condition. In 2023, Anchor was honoured as an IBE/ILAE Epilepsy Ambassador.