Dr. Jeff Ojemann has been appointed the inaugural holder of the George A. Ojemann Endowed Chair for Epilepsy Research which was established for the benefit of neurological surgery research in cortical function and its relation to epilepsy thanks to a generous donation from Margaret and Kenneth Quarles. Dr. Ojemann is a nationally and internationally recognized thought leader in the epilepsy field and a pioneer in epilepsy research and brain-computer interface. He has been a long-standing NIH/NINDS study section member and chaired the NST-1 study section. Currently he co-chairs the prestigious NINDS K12 program, which provides early-stage funding to neurosurgeon-scientists. In 2023, he was elected president of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery, an honor reserved for the top academic pediatric neurosurgeons nationally. He has served on the editorial boards of Journal of Neurosurgery-Pediatrics and the journal Neurosurgery. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has been invited as visiting professor to dozens of preeminent institutions across North America, Europe, and Asia. Most importantly, he has mentored 16 PhD candidates to completion, eight post-doctoral research fellows, and 30 clinical epilepsy/pediatric neurosurgery fellows.
Kenneth and Margaret Quarles were dear friends and neighbors of UW Department of Neurological Surgery retired faculty members, Professors George and Linda Ojemann who share a common interest in the treatment of patients with difficult seizure problems and an understanding of higher brain functions. Mr. Quarles retired from the Alaska Steamship Company where he worked for most of his life except for time spent in the Air Force in WWII and Korea serving as a navigator and bombardier. He was very proud of being a veteran and having been able to support his country. Once retired, Mr. and Mrs. Quarles continued to enjoy their lives in the Puget Sound area by sailing extensively on Lake Washington and in the San Juan Islands. The Quarles were named 2006 Citizens of the Year by the City of Mercer Island when they generously entered into an agreement with Mercer Island to transfer a large piece of their property adjacent to Pioneer Park to be exclusively used for parks and recreation by all of the Island's residents. When Kenneth passed away peacefully in 2009, they had been married 50 years. Mrs. Quarles passed away in 2016 at the age of 101.
After receiving his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Iowa, Dr. George Ojemann completed his neurological surgery residency at the University of Washington, and in 1966 joined the faculty as a neurosurgeon and researcher specializing in epilepsy. Though he retired from clinical practice in 2005, he continues his research and teaching activities. Considered a giant in the field of both neurological surgery and neuroscience, George Ojemann has helped define and shape both disciplines. His superb care of individuals with epilepsy and brain tumors coupled with pioneering clinical research on cortical mapping and language localization has affected countless lives globally. He has been an influential leader at the national level including service on NIH Council and our national accrediting and education boards and through his publications and teaching; he has dramatically influenced innovation in neurosurgical care and neuroscience research. Dr. George Ojemann has enhanced science, patient care, and the educations of generations of UW medical students and residents. His legacy will stand in perpetuity for the good it has brought to our greater community of medicine and science.