• UC Davis Child Pediatric Neurology

The Department of Neurology at UC Davis is proud of our expanding child neurology program that provides compassionate, comprehensive care for children and adolescents with diseases of the nervous system. Our highly experienced team of child neurology specialists not only has advanced training to address the special needs of children with neurological disorders, but also understands the importance of working together with patients and their families to provide the most advanced and effective treatments.

Amy R. Brooks-Kayal, MD, FAAN, FANA, FAES

Amy R. Brooks-Kayal, M.D., F.A.A.N., F.A.N.A., F.A.E.S.

Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology
Andrew John Gabor, M.D., Ph.D. Presidential Endowed Chair

Dr. Brooks-Kayal is a pediatric epileptologist and Chair of the Department of Neurology.  She is an internationally recognized neurologist known globally for her work as a neurologist and researcher who has led advances in epilepsy, pediatric neurology and neuroscience. Dr. Brooks-Kayal specializes in the care of children and teens with difficult to manage or complex epilepsy.  Her research focuses on understanding how seizures effect the brain and on development of novel treatments for the prevention, treatment and cure of epilepsy. Provider Profile » 

Dr. Shannon Liang

Shannon N. Liang, M.D.

Section Chief, Child Neurology
Residency Director, Child Neurology Residency Program 

Dr. Liang is an Associate Clinical Professor, board certified in Psychiatry and Neurology, with special qualifications in Child Neurology.  She is serving as section chief of Child Neurology and leading the new Child Neurology residency program as residency director. Dr. Liang uses medical evidence to provide updated treatment strategies for children with various neurological conditions, including epilepsy (seizures), headaches, developmental delay, ataxia, tics, and cerebral palsy. She is especially interested in neonatal neurology, including neonatal encephalopathy and seizures. She values establishing a therapeutic connection and continuity with her patients' families. Additionally, she advocates for the health care needs of her patients. Dr. Liang enjoys teaching and learning from medical trainees at all levels. Provider Profile » 

Celia ChangCelia H. Chang, M.D.

Celia H. Chang is a clinical professor of Neurology at UC Davis with more than 15 years of experience specializing in pediatric neurology. She offers comprehensive diagnostic and consultative services for children suffering from diseases and congenital disorders of the nervous and neuromuscular systems, including epilepsy, movement disorders, muscular dystrophies, and muscle weakness. She also participates in the Huntington's Disease Center of Excellence, the RASopathy clinic and a multidisciplinary neuro-oncology clinic. She has special interests in telemedince and medical education. Provider Profile »

William BenkoWilliam S. Benko, M.D.

Dr. Benko is a clinical professor of Neurology who brings ten strong years of outpatient general pediatric neurology to the rapidly growing child neurology team. His experience includes managing headaches, migraines, epilepsy, tic disorders, and developmental delays. Dr. Benko also enjoys the new challenges of the rapidly expanding field of neurogenetics, with a special interest in leukodystrophies, and he takes great care to integrate the biopsychosocial model in both his approach to patients as well as through his teaching endeavors. Provider Profile »

Trishna KantamneniTrishna Kantamneni, M.D.

Director of Pediatric Epilepsy

Dr. Kantamneni is an assistant clinical professor of Neurology and pediatric epileptologist. She provides care for infants, children and adolescents with a variety of seizure disorders, with an emphasis on hard to treat epilepsy and evaluation for epilepsy surgery. She leads the four-bed pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. This new unit, in combination with the Department of Neurology’s adult Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU), provides comprehensive assessment, medical and neurosurgical treatments for patients of all ages with seizure disorders in Northern California. Provider Profile »

Temitayo Oyegbile-Chidi, MD, PhDTemitayo O. Oyegbile-Chidi, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.N.

Dr. Oyegbile-Chidi is an associate clinical professor of Neurology as well as a sleep and epilepsy specialist.  She has a special interest in understanding sleep disorders in relation to co-existent neurologic and psychiatric conditions in both adults and children.  Dr. Oyegbile-Chidi always brings a holistic approach when treating a child or adult with a disorder, thinking about the whole person and not just the neurologic disorder.  Dr. Oyegible-Chidi conducts clinical research in the field of epilepsy with a focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in children with epilepsy by evaluating sleep abnormalities and functional neuroimaging. Provider Profile »

Cassandra Ingemansson, F.N.P., M.S.N.

Cassandra Ingemansson is a Family Nurse Practitioner who comes to the Pediatric Neurology Program from the UC Davis Medical Center Surgical Intensive Care Unit, where she cared for critically ill patients with various diagnoses. As part of her clinical training, she worked in Family Practice with the Sutter Medical Group in Folsom, CA, and in Pediatrics with the Sutter Gould Medical Foundation in Lodi, CA. She graduated from Sonoma State University with her FNP in May of 2016.

Karen Cleary, M.S.N., F.N.P.-B.C 

Karen Cleary is a Family Nurse Practitioner who joined the Pediatric Neurology team at UC Davis in April, 2022. 

Outpatient consultation with our team of child neurology specialists is available 3 days each week at the UC Davis Neurosciences Clinic in the Midtown Ambulatory Care Center in Sacramento.  To make an appointment, please call 916-734-3588.

For patients in the Redding area we also offer a telemedicine clinic available 2-4 times each month through our partnership with Shasta Community Health.

The child neurology inpatient consultation service is provided daily and evaluates children with a wide range of acute neurological problems including:

The inpatient consultation service may also evaluate neurological complications of trauma, congenital heart disease, and malignancies. Our inpatient facilities include a pediatric ward, an intensive care unit, a special care unit, and a neonatal intensive care unit. Children with intractable seizures are admitted to the pediatric service for extended video electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring.

UC Davis Neurology Residents have three-month rotations on pediatric neurology, both inpatient and outpatient consultations. Residents and fellows from other departments, including Pediatrics, Child Psychiatry, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, also have rotations on the service. Our on-call neurology residents cover the pediatric emergency room.


 UCDH mychart link button