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Consultant Neurologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer King's College London

specialising in Epilepsy, Metabolic Diseases of the Nervous System and Neuropsychiatry

Picture of Dr.Edward Reynolds
Dr.Edward Reynolds

Dr. Edward (Ted) Reynolds qualified in Medicine at the Welsh National School of Medicine, Cardiff in 1959. He trained in Neurology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London from 1963–1969 and at Yale University Department of Neurology in 1970.

He was Consultant Neurologist to the Maudsley and King’s College Hospitals, London from 1974–1999. He was first Chairman of the Centre for Epilepsy at King’s College Hospital and first Director of the Institute of Epileptology of King’s College, London from 1994–2000; and founding Chairman of the Fund for Epilepsy from 1992–2004.

He served as President of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) from 1993–1997, when he initiated the ILAE/IBE/WHO Global Campaign Against Epilepsy of which he was first Chairman from 1997 – 2001. This Global Campaign continues and since 2022 has become a joint Campaign for Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders in collaboration with the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and other neurological NGO’s.

His research interests have included epilepsy, neuropsychiatry and metabolic diseases of the nervous system, especially folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies. He has co-edited 8 books, published over 250 papers and lectured widely on every continent on these subjects. More recently he has expanded his interest in the history of medicine, neurology, psychiatry and public health, including Babylonian and 19th century neurology and psychiatry.

With his colleagues he: 1) Initiated the first studies of monotherapy and prognosis for newly diagnosed epilepsy; 2) Undertook studies of the chronic toxicity of antiepileptic drugs, especially folate deficiency, which is relevant (a) to the congenital, developmental and neuropsychological harms of the drugs and (b) possibly to their antiepileptic action; 3. Established the neuropsychiatric manifestations of folate deficiency, which overlap with those of vitamin B12 deficiency; and raised concerns of the harms of excess folic acid, especially in the presence of vitamin B12 deficiency. 4) Built bridges between neurology and psychiatry; 5) Undertook original research of Babylonian neurology and psychiatry, and also of 19th century neurology and psychiatry, including Robert Bentley Todd, Michael Faraday and the concept of electrical functions and discharges in the nervous system.

Most recent publications

To view the most recent articles published please view the following and click to view the whole article:

Reynolds EH. Folate, vitamin B12, one carbon metabolism and the nervous system: Excess folic acid is potentially harmful. Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 476 (2025) 123627

Chen J., Jialin J. Rethinking folic acid fortification: A call for nuanced strategies and broader investigations. Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 476 (2025) 123678

Reynolds EH. Rethinking folic acid fortification Response Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 477 (2025) 123677

Messina C. When more is less: The neurological pitfalls of excess folic acid. Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 478 (2025) 123717

Reynolds EH. When more is less: The neurological pitfalls of excess folic acid. ResponseJournal of the Neurological Sciences. 478 (2025) 123716

Reynolds EH., Sobczyńska-Malefora A., Green R. Fortification, folate and vitamin B12 balance, and the nervoussystem. Is folic acid excess potentially harmful?. Eur J Clin Nutr (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s41430-025-01652-8

A podcast interview by the International League Against Epilepsy with Dr. Ted Reynolds, past President (1993-1997), on January 17th 2025 on ‘The origin and early development of the ILAE/IBE/WHO Global Campaign Against Epilepsy: Present at the creation: Initiating partnerships to improve global epilepsy care: Current status and progress of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan’.
ilae.org/journals/epigraph/epigraph-vol-26-issue-1-winter-2024/bringing-epilepsy-out-of-the-shadows-how-far-have-we-come-dr-ted-reynolds

Reynolds EH. The origins and early development of the ILAE/IBE/WHO Global Campaign Against Epilepsy: Out of the Shadows. Epilepsia Open 2023;
doi.org/10.1002/epi4.12850

Reynolds EH. Antiepileptic drugs, folate one carbon metabolism, genetics and epigenetics. Epilepsia 2024,
doi/10.1111/epi.18120

Broussolle E, Reynolds EH, et al. Charcot’s international visitors and pupils from Europe, the United States, and Russia. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences 2024,
doi.org/10.1080/0964704X.2024.2350921