Dr. Vinita J. Acharya, MD, FAAN, FANA, FAES

Neurologist | Neurology

3100 Schoolhouse Road Middletown PA, 17036 Show map

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About

Dr. Vinita Acharya is a Professor of Neurology, distinguished academic Neurologist and Epileptologist in HERSHEY, PA. Dr. Acharya specializes in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system. She is board certified by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry in both Neurology and Epilepsy.With expertise in handling complex conditions including different types of epilepsy , Dr. Acharya employs advanced techniques and personalized treatment plans to improve patient outcomes. As a neurologist, Dr. Acharya is committed to staying abreast of the latest developments in neurological research and therapies. She is fellowship trained in epilepsy at the prestigious Cleveland Clnic Foundation in Cleveland Ohio and has expertise in pharmacological and nonpharmalogical treatment options for epilepsy like epilepsy surgery and neurostimulation. In addition to being an astute clinician Dr Acharya is an accomplished researcher and an educator. She has been named a Distinguished Educator at the Penn State College of Medicine and is a recipient of the A.B. Baler Teacher recognition award from the American Academy of Neurology. She had published extensively in peer reviewed journals and has received prestigious research grants and awards. She has been inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha honor Society. In addition to being a skilled epielptologist she is very passionate about educationa and serves as an honorary faculty at Harvard Macy Program of the Harvard Medical School for the course for educators and another course entitled " Leading Innovations in Education and Healthcare." She is a recipient of Lion Care Award at Penn State which was given to her because of multiple nominations from the patients and their families.

Education and Training

TN Medical College MBBS 1986

TN Medical College MD (Internal Medicine) 1989

TN Medical College Neurology 1993

The Cleveland Clinic Foundatio Fellowship in Epilepsy 1996

UT Sant Antonio Residency in Neurology 2005

Saint Louis University Residency in Neurology 2008

Board Certification

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Clinical Neurophysiology (Psychiatry and Neurology)

Provider Details

Female English, Hindi, Marathi

Areas of expertise and specialization

Medical and Surgical treatment of Epilepsy, Neurostimulation , Medical education, Advocacy

Faculty Titles & Positions

Associate Professor of Neurology Penn State College of Medicine 2017 - Present
Faculty Senator Penn State University 2018 - 2022
Co-Director Autism Epilepsy Initiative Penn State College of Medicine 2019 - Present
Co-Director Epilepsy Psychiatry Initiative Penn State College of Medicine 2019 - Present
Co-Director Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance National Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance 2023 - Present

Awards

Best Doctors in America 2013 Best Doctors
Top Physicians in America 2022 Top Physicians
Who is Who in America 2024 Marquis Who is Who
Young Investigator Award 1995 American Epilepsy Society
Doris Flynn Fellowship Award 1995 Doris Flynn Foundation
Scholarship In Education Award 2018 Woodward Center Penn State College of Medicine
Scholarship In Education Award 2020 Woodward Center Penn State College of Medicine
Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring Award 2019 Penn State College of Medicine
Distinguished Educator Award 2022 Woodward Center Penn State College of Medicine
Penn State Commission for Women Mentoring Award 2020 Penn State Commission for Women
Lion Care Award 2024 Department of Patient experience Hershey Medical center
A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award 2022 American Academy of Neurology

Professional Memberships

Fellow American Neurological Association
Fellow American Epilepsy Society
Fellow American Academy of Neurology
American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
Indian Academy of Neurology
European Academy of Neurology
Association of International Medical Educators

Areas of research

Epilepsy and Sleep related disorders, Sleep related Hypermotor seizures, Autism and Epilepsy

Epilepsy Surgery in the Eloquent Cortex

Normalized transfer entropy: EEG correlation between surface and depth electrodes to explore importance in localizing seizure onset, identifying multifocal epilepsy and predicting surgical outcome.