Quick Study: Comorbidities & Epilepsy in Children

Dr. Rajesh Ramachandran Nair is pediatric epileptologist & neurologist at the McMaster Children's Hospital since 2006. He was the founding medical director of the Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Program. He is a program director for the International Child Neurology Teaching Network (ICNTN) by the International Child Neurology Association (ICNA), and the Canadian Epilepsy Teaching Network (CETN) by the Canadian League Against Epilepsy (CLAE).

Dr. Robyn Whitney is a Paediatric Epileptologist and Neurologist at McMaster Children's Hospital in the Comprehensive Paediatric Epilepsy Program since October 2020. Prior to this in 2017, Dr. Whitney was hired as a Neurologist/Epileptologist in the Division of Neurology at the Hospital for Sick Children and Assistant Professor of Paediatrics.

David Carlone is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. There he practices inpatient psychiatry as well as inpatient and outpatient consultation-liaison. He completed Child and Adolescent Psychiatry subspecialty training though the University of Toronto and prior to that was a general psychiatry resident at Queen’s University. He is also lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at UofT.

Laura is a clinical pharmacist at SickKids. Laura has worked in the general pediatrics, drug information, and neurology departments. She works closely with the healthcare team, patients and families on managing children with a variety of neurological disorders including epilepsy, neuroinflammatory disorders, headaches, and neuromuscular disorders. She is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Toronto.

Nina Rongavilla is a pediatric Social Worker with the neurology and neurosurgery teams at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). She specializes in supporting families navigating complex neurological conditions and surgical care, providing compassionate emotional support, resource guidance, and systems navigation assistance. With a Social Work degree from the University of Toronto, she is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and their families.

Amanda Quann is a Registered Nurse with the Paediatric Epilepsy team at Children’s Hospital at LHSC

Karen is a Nurse Practitioner in neurology at SickKids hospital. In her role, she supports the Ketogenic Diet Program for children with drug resistant epilepsy, as well as the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. Karen values working with interdisciplinary teams to improve the outcomes of children with epilepsy. NP-PHC.

Bonnie Wooten is a registered nurse, and a Shared Decision-Making Implementation Consultant/ Decision Coach at Children’s Hospital, LHSC, London ON. During her career she has worked in a leadership capacity in both acute and community health care settings with a focus on women’s and family health. Bonnie obtained her undergraduate degree from Western University, her graduate degree from Queens University, and completed her PMP’s as project consultant.

Dr. Kerr is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Active Scientific Staff with Neurology at the Hospital for Sick Children where she has been part of the Epilepsy Surgery Program since 1997, and the program director of the epilepsy classroom since 2006. Her expertise is exemplified through her involvement with advisory boards such as PPM 161 –Supporting Children with Prevalent Medical Conditions, CIHR Ge3LS, and the Canadian League Against Epilepsy. PhD., CPsych.

Elana is a Certified Child Life Specialist and a Coordinator in Children and Youth Services at Epilepsy Toronto. She holds an M.A. in Early Childhood Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University and completed post graduate diplomas in Child Life and Clinical Behavioural Sciences at McMaster University. Before joining the team at Epilepsy Toronto, she worked at McMaster Children's Hospital, where she established the child life specialist role in the hospital's Pediatric Chronic Pain Program.

Katie is the Director of Children and Youth Services at Epilepsy Toronto. Katie holds a MSW degree from University of Toronto (2009), specializing in Children and Families and a B.A in Psychology and Sociology. She has extensive experience supporting individuals and caregivers with Autism, Epilepsy, and mental health disorders and is passionate about creating a safe, inclusive and empowering environment for all individuals to feel supported and connected within the epilepsy community.

Sandi’s journey with Epilepsy Ottawa began in 2018 when her daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy. After benefiting from services like the Seizure Smart presentation, she volunteered with the agency, fueling her passion for helping others. Sandi made the bold decision to close her home daycare to focus on supporting families navigating epilepsy. Her personal experiences equip her with unique insights, allowing her to educate and empower others to better support individuals living with epilepsy.

Heather started working for Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario in March 2024. As our Executive Director, she brings with her knowledge from her years of experience in both primary care and mental health care. Heather has her Master’s Degree in Psychology. When not at work Heather and her husband enjoy making community dinners, supporting the arts, traveling, and supporting nature conservation.