Child Neurology

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

Amy Brooks-Kayal, M.D. 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. Amy Brooks-Kayal, M.D. 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 » 

Courtney J. Wusthoff, M.D., M.S.

Chief of Division, Child Neurology
Program Director, Child Neurology Residency Program

Courtney J. Wusthoff, M.D., M.S. is Chief of the Division of Child Neurology and Program Director of the Child Neurology Residency. Her clinical and research work focuses on neonatal neurology, and the use of EEG to care for critically ill infants and children. She enjoys working with colleagues across fields, and is active in a number of professional societies. She is the Associate Editor of the Child Neurology portfolio for the journal, Neurology.

William S. Benko, M.D.

William Benko, M.D. 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. William Benko, M.D. 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 »

Caren Armstrong, M.D., Ph.D.

Caren Armstrong, M.D. Ph.D., is an assistant professor of clinical neurology in the child neurology and epilepsy divisions. She is both a basic science researcher and a clinician. Her clinical interests are in both neurogenetics and surgical evaluations for difficult to treat epilepsy in children. Her research interests are in understanding how differences at the gene and neuronal microcircuit levels affect what we see in patients with epilepsy during intracranial EEG, including how stimulation can be used both to reveal those underlying mechanisms and to identify new and better treatments for epilepsy.

Frederick Bassal, D.O.

Frederick Bassal, D.O. is a general pediatric neurologist offering care for children with various neurologic conditions such as epilepsy, headache, neurodevelopmental disabilities and movement disorders. He has special clinical interest and expertise in the field of neuroimmunology, for which he cares for children affected by acquired demyelinating diseases including multiple sclerosis, in addition to autoantibody encephalitis including anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.  Provider Profile »

Celia H. Chang, M.D.

Celia H. Chang, M.D. 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 »

Trishna Kantamneni, M.D.

Director of Pediatric Epilepsy

Trishna Kantamneni, M.D. 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 O. Oyegbile-Chidi, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.N.

Oyegbile-Chidi, M.D., Ph.D. 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. She 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. She 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 »

Neggy Rismanchi, M.D., Ph.D.

Neggy Rismanchi, M.D., Ph.D. is an associate professor of pediatric neurology with specialized training in pediatric epilepsy. She is the director of the Pediatric Intractable Epilepsy Clinic at UC Davis which is focused on the evaluation and treatment of medication-resistant epilepsy, including surgical and non-surgical options. Her research interests include understanding and the management of various forms of epilepsies, with a particular interest in neuromodulation. She is also interested in how neuromodulation, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), can be utilized as a therapeutic intervention for various neurologic or mental health conditions. Provider Profile »

Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan, M.D.

Assistant Clinical Professor

Karen Cleary, M.S.N., F.N.P.-B.C 

Karen Cleary is a Nurse Practitioner in the Child Neurology Program. She provides care for children with various neurologic conditions such as epilepsy, headaches, and developmental delays. She has special clinical interest in new-onset seizures, developmental delays, and leukodystrophies.

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

Cassandra Ingemansson is a Family Nurse Practitioner who comes to the Child 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.