Over the course of her accomplished career in academia and health care, Amy Brooks-Kayal has gone above and beyond to level the playing field in neurology.

On Feb. 20, Brooks-Kayal received the 2025 Women & Philanthropy Impact Award in recognition of her commitment to elevating others. The award ceremony was hosted by members of the Women & Philanthropy Advisory Council. 

With three decades’ experience both practicing and teaching neurology, Brooks-Kayal has fostered the growth of many prospective neurologists. In her time at UC Davis, her approach has not changed: promoting mentorship and inclusivity as a professor and as department head.

“Being nominated by my colleagues for this award and receiving it were particularly meaningful to me,” she said, adding that the award’s qualifications match her dedication to “exemplary leadership, mentorship, and advocacy for women and other underrepresented groups.” 

The Women & Philanthropy Impact Award recognizes a UC Davis faculty or staff member for contributions to the advancement of women, along with exemplary leadership and significant impact on university communities. 

It also comes with a donor-funded $25,000 prize to direct to the UC Davis fund of the winner’s choice. 

Opening doors for women

For Brooks-Kayal, aiding the growth of women in her discipline has always been a priority.

“Without question, my most important contributions to neurology and neuroscience, and the ones of which I am most proud, are the trainees and junior faculty that I have mentored during my career,” she said.

At UC Davis, Brooks-Kayal was instrumental in creating a mentoring program for K award-winners — up-and-coming researchers who receive funding and training for their career development, as well as the Women in Neuroscience resource collaborative. She has personally mentored several women in her department, including Temitayo Oyegbile-Chidi, associate professor of neurology.

“Amy Brooks-Kayal's mentorship has been pivotal in shaping my research career at UC Davis,” Oyegbile-Chidi said. “Her guidance helped me assemble an outstanding mentoring team, leading to my successful KL-2 and K23 awards. As my department chair, she has fiercely protected my time, enabling me to prioritize my research and leadership responsibilities.”

Jack Lin, director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, echoes this praise. 

“Dr. Brooks-Kayal’s mentorship is not only prolific — it is deeply impactful, fostering scientific independence, leadership and confidence among the next generation of women in medicine,” said Lin.

Narrowing the gap

Brooks-Kayal has directed the $25,000 prize to the Neurology Education through Research, Observership and Networking, or NEURON, Summer Research Program. The UC Davis School of Medicine scholarship program grants $3,000 to rising second-year students for a neurology-focused summer internship. 

What’s more, she and her husband are matching the prize funds, bringing the total gift to $50,000.

“The reason I advocate for inclusion,” she said, “is because we need more neurologists, and we need neurologists from all areas, walks of life and backgrounds.”

Justin Solorio was the first NEURON scholar. In summer 2025, he spent eight weeks gaining valuable work experience in both laboratory and medical settings — an opportunity not available to many students like him from rural communities. 

“The NEURON program provides another way for students to get research experience. There’s not a lot of neurologists in rural areas, so this program is trying to recruit people to mind that gap,” said Solorio.

Through this gift and additional fundraising, Brooks-Kayal hopes that the program can support two students per summer in the future.

From bench to bedside and beyond

Brooks-Kayal’s work has tremendously benefited the field of neurology and the community as a whole. 

In addition to being at the forefront of research on epilepsy and other conditions, she is a distinguished epilepsy clinician. She helped launch one of the largest epilepsy monitoring units in California and has otherwise expanded access to neurological treatment to underserved communities across the state. 

Brooks-Kayal has held numerous leadership positions with organizations such as the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and American Epilepsy Society. For her wide-ranging accomplishments, she has received awards from Yale University, the American Epilepsy Society, the Child Neurology Society and several other institutions.

According to Neurosciences Senior Director of Development Jennifer Navarro, philanthropy is frequently woven into Brooks-Kayal’s practice:

“As a philanthropy champion, Dr. Brooks-Kayal is instrumental in cultivating and stewarding donors whose gifts have a transformational impact on neurological health research and clinical care,” she said.

Brooks-Kayal’s impact on the field and practice of neurology is especially recognized by those looking to follow in her footsteps. 

“Being able to watch Dr. Brooks-Kayal in her career and how she has seamlessly transitioned between the bench and the bedside has really inspired me to pursue both the research and clinical aspects of studying epilepsy,” said Caren Armstrong, assistant professor of clinical neurology.

Fellow colleagues and mentees alike agree that Brooks-Kayal champions the principles of the Women & Philanthropy Impact Award.

“She is a role model,” Lin said, “who uplifts others, cultivates excellence, and creates lasting institutional impact.”