Kavita Thakkar, MD
Attending Physician, Neurology (Clinical Neuroimmunology)
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Neurology and Epilepsy), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- Language:
- English
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Offering Telemedicine Visits:
-
Yes
Locations
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
225 E. Chicago Ave.Chicago, Illinois 60611
Lurie Children's Hospital Outpatient Center in New Lenox
1870 N. Silver Cross Blvd. (formerly Clinton Street)Suite 100
New Lenox, Illinois 60451
About
Dr. Kavita Thakkar sees patients with neuroimmune conditions, currently overseeing the specialized neuroimmunology clinic at Lurie Children’s. In addition to her pediatric focus, she treats adult patients at the Northwestern Medical Group in Orland Park.
Dr. Thakkar has a strong educational and training background, beginning with medical school in India. She then completed a pediatric residency and a child neurology fellowship at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Following this, she pursued further specialization with a neuroimmunology fellowship at the UPMC Neuroimmunology/MS Center. At UPMC, she served a faculty member and as a Director of the Pediatric Clinical Neuroimmunology Program. In this role, she expanded the clinic’s capabilities by integrating innovative treatments and protocols, significantly enhancing the quality of care for patients with neuroimmune disorders.
Since joining Lurie Children’s and Northwestern Memorial Hospital in 2023, Dr. Thakkar has overseen the neuroimmunology clinic, providing compassionate care to pediatric patients with neurological conditions. Fulfilling the hospitals’ academic mission, she actively engages in training residents and medical students, sharing her expertise and passion for the field.
Dr. Thakkar’s scholarly contributions include establishing evidence-based clinical care protocols and advancing treatment options for neuroimmune disorders. Dr. Thakkar is also engaged in advancing research in neuroimmunology. She serves as the principal investigator for an institutional longitudinal quality improvement study that focuses on autoimmune disorders of the brain and spinal cord. Additionally, she contributes as the site co-investigator for the international study on Opsoclonus Myoclonus Ataxia Syndrome. In her role as the site principal investigator for the NMDAR Encephalitis trial at Lurie Children’s, she is contributing towards a multi- institutional study investigating the efficacy of newer immunomodulatory therapies, a critical effort that aims to redefine care standards and improve patient outcomes in this challenging field.
Specialty
Program
Conditions Treated
- Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Optic Neuritis
- Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
- Autoimmune Encephalitis
- Central Nervous System (CNS) Vasculitis
- Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody (MOGAD)
- NMDA Encephalitis
- Opsoclonus Myoclonus Ataxia Syndrome
- Transverse Myelitis
Education & Training
Education: Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College, India, 2002
Postgraduate Training: Fellowship in neuroimmunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2019-2020; Residency in child neurology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 2011-2014; Residency in pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 2007-2009; Internship in pediatrics, Western Reserve Care System, OH, 2006-2007; Residency, Princess Basma Hospital, India, 2003-2005
Board Certifications: Child Neurology