Career Center AES Connect
Mar 10, 2024

Gian-Emilio Chatrian, MD

In Memoriam

Gianni Chatria

Gian-Emilio Chatrian, MD was born on February 28, 1926, in Torino, Italy. He received his medical degree from the University of Naples and completed a residency in Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of Rome, Italy. He pursued research studies in clinical neurophysiology with Prof. Henri Gastaut in Marseille and in stereo-EEG with Drs. Jean Bancaud and Jean Talairach in Paris, France. Gianni emigrated to the United States in 1954 and conducted research in clinical neurophysiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts with Dr. Stanley Cobb. Subsequently, he conducted clinical and research work in clinical neurophysiology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota from 1955 to 1959.

He was recruited in 1959 by Dr. Arthur Ward to the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle where he founded and led the Division of EEG and Clinical Neurophysiology. He devoted himself to research, clinical testing, and exceptional postdoctoral teaching until 1991.

Dr. Chatrian conducted research in electroencephalography, epilepsy, evoked potentials, and intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring. He was President of the American EEG Society (later, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society) in 1968 and of the American Epilepsy Society in the 1970s. He was a member of the International Federation of Societies of EEG and Clinical Neurophysiology (later, IFCN) and published chapters in the Handbook of EEG and Clinical Neurophysiology and other textbooks. He was first author of the first Glossary of EEG Terms in 1974 1 along with other original research articles.

Dr. Chatrian retired as Professor Emeritus from the University of Washington Departments of Laboratory Medicine (EEG & Clinical Neurophysiology) and Neurosurgery and moved to Milano, Italy in 2016. He passed away on March 10, 2024, in Milano at the age of 98 years.

Gianni loved both his native Italy and the United States. He enjoyed reading, classical music, and several sports including mountain climbing, skiing, and horseback riding.

 

Written by David G. Vossler, MD FAES, FAAN, FACNS
Clinical Professor of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA USA

 

Reference

1. Chatrian GE, Bergamini L, Dondey M, Klass DW, Lennox-Buchthal M, Petersen I. A glossary of terms most commonly used by clinical electroencephalographers. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1974;37:538-548.