About Us

Dr. Melissa Barker-Haliski, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Washington, has spearheaded the identification and pharmacological characterization of a diverse range of novel preclinical models for antiseizure drug discovery. Her primary focus lies in developing strategies to elucidate precision medicine therapies.

From 2014 to 2018, Dr. Barker-Haliski served as co-chair of the American Epilepsy Society/International League Against Epilepsy’s (ILAE) Pharmacology Common Data Elements Working Group. Subsequently, she led the Phenotyping Common Data Elements Working Group with the objective of harmonizing preclinical pharmacology studies for epilepsy drug discovery across industry, government, and academia.

Her research endeavors emphasize the development of novel strategies to uncover precision medicine therapies for unmet medical needs of patients with epilepsy and seizures associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and ultra-rare seizure disorders.