Christine O'Dell, RN, MSN

Ms. O'Dell is Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Clinical Neuroscience Center at Montefiore. She received her RN diploma from St. Elizabeth's Hospital School of Nursing, Utica, New York, in 1974, BSN from the State University of New York at Utica/Rome in 1982 and MSN in medical-surgical nursing, with a subspecialty in neuroscience nursing, from Yale University School of Nursing in 1984. Ms. O'Dell is certified as a Medical-Surgical Clinical Nurse Specialist by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and as a Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse by the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing.

Ms. O'Dell is past president of the board of directors of the Epilepsy Foundation of Southern New York, a member of the board of directors and the professional advisory committee of the Epilepsy Foundation of New York City, as well as chair of the education committee, and a member of the professional advisory board for the national Epilepsy Foundation. She has also served as past president of the Greater New York Chapter of the Association of Neuroscience Nurses and has played an active role in the incorporation of the Association of Child Neurology Nurses.

Ms. O'Dell's main areas of research interest are coping and adaptation to illness, specifically the family's response to epilepsy, the relationship of client advocacy and health education to quality of life, and how medical treatments for epilepsy affect the daily activities of patients and their families. Ms. O'Dell has written and lectured extensively regarding these issues.