July 10, 2025, Filed Under: NewsClarke Elected Chair of ILAE-North America Dave Clarke, MD, professor of neurology at Dell Medical School and Kozmetsky Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Epilepsy, has been elected as chair of the International League Against Epilepsy’s North American branch, representing the United States, Canadian, and Caribbean chapters. Clarke, who has served as a board member of ILAE-North America since 2013, will begin his four-year term as chair in August.
July 3, 2025, Filed Under: NewsKeith Selected to Pediatric Neurology Editorial Board Join us in congratulating Louisa Keith, MD, assistant professor of neurology and director of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Clinic, who was recently appointed to the editorial board of Pediatric Neurology. This appointment reflects Dr. Keith’s growing reputation as an expert for formal follow-up of children at high risk for neurological impairment. Keith serves alongside several of our pediatric neurosciences colleagues, including senior associate editor Stephen Deputy, MD, statistician Yingchao Yuan, MA, and editorial board members Audrey Brumback, MD, PhD, Duriel Hardy, MD, Samantha Irwin, MSc, MB BCh BAO, and Kristina Julich, MD.
June 24, 2025, Filed Under: carousel, NewsProgram Co-Sponsors Second IMPRES Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Conference Watch the conference recap here! Save the date for IMPRES 2026 Session panelists (L to R) Ahmed T. Abdelmoity, MD, MBA, MS, Jorge Vidaurre, MD, Alison Kukla, MPH, Sandi Lam, MD, MBA, and Dave Clarke, MD The Dell Children’s Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center in collaboration with the Lurie Children’s Epilepsy Center presented the second annual Innovative Minds: Pediatric Research in Epilepsy Surgery (IMPRES) Conference on the Northwestern University campus in downtown Chicago, Illinois, from June 20–22. The conference kicked off on Friday evening with a reception cruise on Lake Michigan and featured two days of CME sessions, including a neurodiagnostic breakout session. The national IMPRES program focuses on evidence-based research in pediatric epilepsy surgery and highlights collaboration among pediatric epilepsy centers and programs. This year’s conference theme, improving access and health equity in epilepsy, featured prominently in each of the seven conference sessions and 25 presentations. Session topics included the anthropology and history of epilepsy, management of epilepsy, presurgical investigative studies, nontraditional surgical patients, surgical techniques, quality of life and psychosocial outcomes, and neurodiagnostics. Each session concluded with a moderated panel discussion and Q&A. IMPRES is an ongoing collaboration between Dell Children’s Medical Center and Lurie Children’s Hospital. This year’s conference organizers were Dell Children’s pediatric epilepsy chief Dave Clarke, MD, and Sandi Lam, MD, MBA, of Lurie Children’s and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “IMPRES 2025 was an inspiring gathering of innovative minds dedicated to advancing care for children with epilepsy and their families,” said Lam. “This unique interdisciplinary conference fostered remarkable collaboration among neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuropsychologists, social workers, researchers, advocates, and families. Together, we explored new frontiers in epilepsy care, neurosurgery, global health, and health equity to improve outcomes for children with epilepsy.” “Praise for this thought-provoking conference has been far-reaching,” said Clarke. “Planning is already underway for IMPRES 2026 here in Austin.”
June 23, 2025, Filed Under: News“Dr. Clarke Gave Us Our Daughter Back”: Clarke Featured in UT Health Austin Story on Laser Ablation for Young Girl UT Health Austin recently published an article on pediatric epilepsy program chief Dr. Dave Clarke and his role in helping a young girl achieve seizure freedom using laser ablation. Charli, who was having up to 20 seizures a day, was referred to the Dell Children’s Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center after experiencing a severe decline in her condition that resulted in difficulties walking, speaking, and using her left hand—all of which did not respond to treatment. Read the full story.
June 4, 2025, Filed Under: carousel, NewsProgram Hosts Sixth Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium Pediatric neuroimmunologist Duriel Hardy, MD, speaking on pediatric multiple sclerosis Neurosurgery chief Elias Rizk, MD, PhD, presenting on pediatric neurosurgery for primary care providers Each spring our program hosts a practical pediatric neuroscience symposium designed to enhance knowledge of commonly encountered pediatric neurological conditions among general pediatric practitioners. The sixth annual symposium on May 17 featured presentations by nine pediatric neurosciences faculty members, with topics ranging from functional neurological disorders to updates in migraine treatment. Each interactive presentation provided techniques and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management, including the roles of interprofessional teams in improving quality of life and treatment outcomes. The presentations are available to download and to watch online.
May 27, 2025, Filed Under: NewsMoodley Receives Resident Teaching Award Congratulations to Manikum Moodley, MD, winner of this year’s Excellence in Neurology Resident Teaching Award. Dr. Moodley was selected by the child and adult neurology residents who spent time in the Pediatric Neurosciences Program. He was also the recipient of the award in 2021 and of several teaching awards at Cleveland Clinic prior to joining Dell Med. Dr. Moodley recently retired as professor of neurology and is now an affiliate faculty member. He was chief of our program’s Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center and co-director of the Pediatric Autonomic Lab.
May 27, 2025, Filed Under: NewsCongratulations, Graduates! On May 23, the Department of Neurology held its graduation and awards ceremony for residents and fellows. This year, one resident and two fellows graduated from our program: Qingqing Wang, MD, child neurology residentSireesha Chinthaparthi, MD, pediatric epilepsy fellowMelanie Somekh, PhD, pediatric neuropsychology postdoctoral fellow Congratulations to these graduates! Qingqing Wang, MD, with child neurology residency director Stephen Deputy, MD Sireesha Chinthaparthi, MD, with pediatric epilepsy fellowship associate director Dan Freedman, DO Melanie Somekh, PhD, with Amanda Winter-Greenberg, PhD, training director of the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology
May 3, 2025, Filed Under: carousel, NewsRegister for the 6th Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium The sixth annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium will be held this Saturday, May 17, at Dell Children’s with virtual access. The target audience is general pediatric practitioners who care for children with a wide range of neurological disorders. This free event will feature several interactive presentations by pediatric neurosciences faculty members on a broad range of topics. Each presentation will provide specific techniques and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management. Register online now or scan the QR code below.
May 2, 2025, Filed Under: NewsMoodley Retires After Four Decades of Service in Pediatric Neurology On April 30, we hosted a department luncheon in honor of Manikum “Mani” Moodley’s retirement. Dr. Moodley, an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Neurology and former co-director of our Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence, began a remarkable half-century medical career in 1974 after completing his medical degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine in Durban, South Africa. He finished a rotating internship and residencies in pediatrics and neurology in South Africa, then completed fellowship training in child neurology, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neuromuscular diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children in London and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, followed by a fellowship in neonatal neurology at the British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. This extensive training no doubt underpinned what often appeared to be an uncanny ability to arrive at a correct diagnosis that had escaped others. In 2004, Moodley began a 15-year stint with the Cleveland Clinic. There he honed his expertise in pediatric autonomic disorders and neuroimmunological conditions. Working closely with David Rothner, MD, Moodley also became an expert in the management of neurofibromatosis. In parallel, his academic career flourished. Moodley authored some 80 articles and chapters, often in collaboration with his trainees. He has won at least seven resident and student teaching awards from three different institutions. Special honors include the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine and his selection as the keynote speaker for the medical school’s annual convocation. In 2019, when many people would be planning for a comfortable retirement, Moodley joined the faculty of the newly established Dell Medical School. Here he played a major role in the creation of the now-flourishing pediatric neurosciences program. To no one’s surprise, he won a resident teaching award the year after he arrived. He established the clinical pediatric autonomic laboratory and helped to establish the Neurofibromatosis Center of Excellence. Moodley has been a worthy role model for both trainees and colleagues. We are not quite ready to turn loose of this remarkable physician: he will continue to be involved in our neurology outreach program in Kenya and in assisting trainees with publications and presentations. Thank you, Dr. Moodley, for decades of service to child neurology! Enjoy your retirement—you have earned it.
February 13, 2025, Filed Under: NewsJoin Us for the Sixth Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium Save the date! The sixth annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 17, at Dell Children’s with virtual access. The target audience is general pediatric practitioners who care for children with a wide range of neurological disorders. This free event will feature several interactive presentations by faculty members of the pediatric neurosciences program on a broad range of topics. Each presentation will provide specific techniques and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management. Details on registration and CME forthcoming.
