Stefano Sandrone is an Italian neuroscientist and educationalist working at Imperial College London. He won
the Science Educator Award presented by the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in 2019; -the A. B. Baker Teacher
Recognition Award (twice) from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in 2020 and 2024; -the Miriam
Friedman Ben-David Award from the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) in 2024; the Distinguished
Neurology Teacher Award from the American Neurological Academy (ANA) in 2024. He wrote three
books, including Nobel Life, in which he interviewed 24 Nobel Laureates about their life stories, advice for future
generations, and what remains to be discovered.

Parisa Habibi completed her doctorate at 34 from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. He is a faculty member
of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. He has published more than 45 articles in prestigious journals.

Professor Rachid Masrour, from Morocco, actually, is research professor in the Faculty of Sciences Dhar El
Mahraz at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah the University, Fez, Morocco. Dr. Rachid Masrour completed his Ph.D. in
March 2006 at same University. He has 426 articles published in Scopus and author of 2 books with h-index 37.
He’s a Referee of a several articles and also Editorial Board Members in different international journal. He has
honored with International Association of Advanced Materials Young Scientist Medal in recognition for their
contribution to “Magnetism, Electromagnetism and Spintronics” and delivered a lecture in the Advanced Materials
World Congress 11 – 14 October 2022. One of the world’s most cited top scientists in material physics
(top 2 %, Stanford University Ranking, US, 2020, 2022 and 2023).

Background: Understanding the intersection of epilepsy and pregnancy, including knowledge gaps and healthcare
access for women with epilepsy (WWE), is critical. This study evaluated WWE knowledge gaps and information
needs concerning epilepsy’s impact on their sexual and reproductive health during pregnancy and
examined healthcare system factors affecting their access to information, aiming to identify areas for improvement
in educational and healthcare strategies to enhance health management for WWE.
Methods: From July 2022 to June 2023, 111 WWE aged 18 to 40 years were recruited from the family medicine
and internal medicine outpatient departments at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Tembisa Tertiary Hospital
(TTH), and Kalafong Hospital. Interviews assessed various aspects related to epilepsy in pregnancy and contraceptive
use.
Results: The study found strong links between WWE, their demographics, and their awareness of pregnancy-
related epilepsy issues. Participants from TTH showed notably higher awareness (85.5%) of risks from
epilepsy and AED during pregnancy (p < 0.05). Age and education significantly influenced pregnancy planning
and understanding of medication risks. Younger women (20–25 years) were more inclined towards future
pregnancies, and those with more education were better informed about medication risks (p < 0.05); and 68.5%
had received counselling on AED and contraceptive interactions, yet only 16.2% knew AED could reduce contraceptive
effectiveness.
Conclusion: The study reveals significant knowledge gaps in WWE regarding the impact of epilepsy and AED on
pregnancy, suggesting tailored educational and counselling initiatives to improve WWE health outcomes and
quality of life, advancing chronic disease management and public health objectives.