Pediatric Epilepsy Center
The nationally-prominent Lurie Children’s Epilepsy Center boasts an extensive range of services, providing the highest level care for children with various forms of epilepsy. Our team of specialists provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for children with epilepsy, complete evaluation services, specialized epilepsy clinics and epilepsy surgery services.
Each year we treat at least 2,200 children from around the country and the world, making us one of the busiest child epilepsy centers in the Midwest. Best known for helping infants with complex and hard-to-treat (intractable) epilepsy, our comprehensive epilepsy center offers state of the art neurodiagnostic monitoring including video EEG (video electroencephalography) for children of all ages. Here at Lurie Children’s, we perform over 4,000 video EEG studies a year.
The Division of Epilepsy is part of Lurie Children's Clinical Neurosciences, which is ranked 7th in the nation for child neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report.
Our multidisciplinary team addresses the medical, behavioral, educational and developmentalneeds of children and their families to promote the best possible quality of life. Few epilepsy programs offer the level of specialty programs and leading technology available to patients at Lurie Children’s, which include:
We strive to serve more children, train more specialists, augment our current research particularly focusing on improving clinical outcomes and expand our advocacy initiatives using our unique care model. The mission of the Epilepsy Team is to provide the highest care. All, for your one.
In partnership with Northwestern University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Lurie Children's Epilepsy Center has been recognized as a Level 4 program by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC). Our Level 4 designation means our high-quality specialized epilepsy care voluntarily meets all of the NAEC’s rigorous criteria. Learn more.
Nationally-Ranked Care
Lurie Children's is ranked 7th in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery by U.S.News & World Report.
Pediatric Epilepsy Syndromes & Conditions We Treat
Our epilepsy team cares for children with any and all forms of epilepsy. Some specific epilepsy conditions we treat are listed below.
Epilepsy Syndromes:
- Childhood absence epilepsy
- Doose syndrome: Myoclonic astatic epilepsy
- Dravet syndrome: Severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI)
- Electrical status epilepticus during slow-wave sleep (ESES)
- Epileptic encephalopathies
- Epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spike and wave during sleep (CSWS)
- Frontal lobe epilepsy
- Infantile spasms: West syndrome or epileptic spasms
- Jeavon’s syndome
- Juvenile absence epilepsy
- Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
- Landau-Kleffner syndrome
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS)
- Metabolic syndromes
- Mitochondrial disorders
- Ohtahara syndrome
- Panayiotopoulos syndrome
- Progressive myoclonic epilepsies
- Rasmussen’s syndrome and other immuno-causative epilepsies
Epilepsy Secondary to Genetic Variants:
- Angelman syndrome
- CDKL5
- Chromosomal abnormalities
- Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures
- Fragile X
- Glut-1 deficiency syndrome (SLC2A1)
- KCNQ2
- KCNT1
- PCDH19
- Rett syndrome
- SCN1A
- SCN2A
- SCN8A
- Sturge-Weber syndrome
Epilepsy Secondary To:
- Congenital brain malformations
- Cortical dysplasia
- Hypothalamic hamartoma
- Hypoxic ischemic injury
- Mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS)
- Strokes
- Trauma
- Tuberous sclerosis complex
- Tumors
Pediatric Epilepsy Specialists
Lurie Children’s Epilepsy Center’s multidisciplinary team includes pediatric epileptologists, advanced practice registered nurses, medical education specialist, neurosurgeons, research doctors, research professionals, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, genetic counselors, dietitians and social workers.
Attending Physicians
Linda C. Laux, MD
Section Head, Epilepsy Center
Specialty Programs: Dravet Clinic, Epilepsy Genetics Clinic
Joanna I. Garcia Pierce, MD
Specialty Programs: Spanish Clinic for Epilepsy Patients
Rebecca M. Garcia-Sosa, MD
Pediatric Epilepsy Fellowship Director
Specialty Programs: Epilepsy Neuro-Oncology Clinic, Spanish Clinic for Epilepsy Patients
Sunila O'Connor, MD
Outreach Clinic at Grayslake
Priyamvada Tatachar, MD
Specialty Programs: Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic, Infantile Spasms Clinic
Advanced Practice Providers
Allison D. Dye, APRN-NP, CPNP-PC
Specialty Programs: Spanish Clinic for Epilepsy Patients
Kelly Neven, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
Specialty Programs: New Onset Seizure Clinic
Breanne Fisher, MSN, APRN-NP, CPNP
APP Manager, Neurosciences
Specialty Programs: Ketogenic Diet Clinic, New Onset Epilepsy Clinic
Amy Tennant, MS, APRN-NP, CPNP
Specialty Programs: Infantile Spasms Clinic, Neuromodulation Clinic, New Onset Seizure Clinic
Ketogenic Dietitians
Robyn Blackford, RDN, LDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Specialty Programs: Ketogenic Diet Program
Nicole Haggerty, MS, RD, LDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Specialty Programs: Ketogenic Diet Program
Chu-Yi Huang, MS, RD, LDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Specialty Programs: Ketogenic Diet Program
Wesley Lowman, RDN, LDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Specialty Programs: Ketogenic Diet Program
Genetic Counselors
Erin McGinnis, MS, CGC
Specialty Programs: Epilepsy Genetics Clinic
Nursing Staff
Jami Chilvers, RN
Registered Nurse
Maddy Culligan, RN
Registered Nurse
Grace Gibson, RN
Registered Nurse
Kelly Nelson, RN
TSC RN Coordinator
Kristin Vandenbranden, RN
Registered Nurse
Michelle Vergara, RN
Registered Nurse
Make an Appointment
We offer easy online scheduling for your child's neurologic needs.
Our Locations
Lurie Children's Hospital Outpatient Center in Grayslake
1475 E. Belvidere Rd. (Rte. 120)Suite 285, Pavilion C
Grayslake, Illinois 60030-2012
312.227.2220
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
225 E. Chicago Ave.Chicago, Illinois 60611
312.227.4000
Lurie Children's Hospital Outpatient Center in Schaumburg (Opening Fall 2025)
1895 Arbor Glen BoulevardSchaumburg, Illinois 60195
1.800.543.7362
Resources
We have specialized resources available for families and children with epilepsy.
Epilepsy Program News & Stories
Patrick's Journey: Transforming Lives Through Pediatric Neurosurgery
In a special episode of Precision: Perspectives on Children's Surgery, you will hear a powerful story about a little boy named Patrick Marvel who was diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy due to a perinatal stroke and how an endoscopic hemispherectomy surgery at Lurie Children's transformed his life.
Helping Families Navigate Drug-Resistant Pediatric Epilepsy with Dr. Sandi Lam
In this episode, Dr. Sandi Lam, Division Head of Neurosurgery at Lurie Children’s, talks about her work to help pediatric patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and their families manage this condition by investigating the outcomes that matter most to patients and their families.
Epilepsy Surgery Reconnects Adriel & RJ with Fullest Potential
Both Adriel Navarette and RJ Walters experienced severe seizures. Their parents shared a sense of boundless determination to find a cure for their sons’ forms of epilepsy.
Exclusive First Person with Sandi Lam, M.D.
Leading the way in training neurodiagnostic technicians
What Does a Seizure Look Like in a Child?
Signs of a seizures in a child can vary. Learn what a seizure looks like and what to do if you suspect a child is having a seizure.
Philanthropy
Your support is vital in helping us continue to make a difference in the lives of patients and families. Lurie Children's relies on philanthropic funding to enhance its programs, services and research for children. To learn more, please e-mail the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation at foundation@luriechildrens.org or call 312.227.7500.