Board of Directors

Stephen Peters works as a national commercial real estate broker and is the proud father of three children.  Over the past fifteen years, Stephen has worked to help children since his second daughter became a patient at the Pediatric Epilepsy Program at UCLA.  While Kyra was a patient there, Stephen co-founded and served as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the Pediatric Epilepsy Project, which raised monies for children impacted by neurological issues.  Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for PCDA, the Professional Child Development Associates, which helps children and families with Autism.

Believing community activity and engagement is crucial to creating happy people, you can find Stephen coaching Little League or YMCA basketball most seasons in South Pasadena CA, and even wagering on a golf match with his buddies when the opportunity arises.

Dr. Perry (@TheNotoriousEEG) is the Medical Director of Neurology and the Genetic Epilepsy Clinic, as well as co-Director of the Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center at Cook Children’s Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX. He completed his MD at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and general pediatrics and child neurology training at Emory University. He completed a Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship at Nicklaus Children’s (formerly Miami Children’s Hospital) before joining Cook Children’s in 2009. His clinical and research interests include the use of epilepsy surgery for the treatment of intractable childhood epilepsy and the evaluation and treatment of genetic epilepsy syndromes. Outside of my clinical and research interests, I serve on a number of local, national, and international committees dedicated to improving the care of childhood onset epilepsy. My free time is often spent with my wife and two daughters- usually at one of their cheer competitions. I enjoy music of all types as well as collecting art, especially pieces related to the blues and my childhood home of the Mississippi Delta.

Dr. Tilton is a Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics and Section Chair of Child Neurology at Louisiana State Health Science Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.  She is director of the Rehabilitation Center at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans and director of the Comprehensive Spasticity Program.  Special interests include neurorehabilitation, neuromuscular disorders, and clinical applications and research in novel uses of botulinum toxin and intrathecal baclofen in the care of children and young adults with abnormal tone. Dr. Tilton has served on the executive committee of the Professors of Child Neurology and has been active in the national Child Neurology Society as a councilor, Secretary/Treasurer, and served as President of the organization. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Child Neurology Foundation.  She has been involved in the American Academy of Neurology Board of Directors where she served as the treasurer of the American Academy of Neurology Institute. Residency education is one of her priorities and she served as a member and Vice Chair of the ACGME Neurology Residency Review Committee (RRC). She is currently the Chair of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). Her interest in children with disabilities extends to the American Academy of Pediatrics where she served on the national Council for Children with Disabilities. Additionally, she is a certified member of the American Society of Neurorehabilitation and has been active on the executive committee. Dr. Tilton has been board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Clinical Neurophysiology. She has published on numerous topics and has spoken nationally and internationally on child neurology, rehabilitation, and spasticity management.

Dr. Hussain is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA and he is the director of the UCLA Infantile Spasms Program. His clinical practice is dedicated to infantile spasms and other forms of epileptic encephalopathy. With the recognition that infantile spasms are under-recognized and frequently misdiagnosed—with often deleterious consequences—Dr. Hussain leads a web-based effort (www.InfantileSpasmsProject.org) to increase public understanding of infantile spasms. Although focused on infantile spasms, his research efforts are wide-ranging and include (1) the assessment of novel treatments for infantile spasms, (2) the development of quantitative EEG measures of disease burden to facilitate clinical trials, (3) the evaluation of proposed electrophysiologic and metabolic (PET) biomarkers of epileptogenesis, (4) the critical appraisal of “established” treatments for infantile spasms, and (5) an effort to quantify the magnitude and impact of diagnostic delay in the treatment of infantile spasms. Dr. Hussain received a career development award from the Epilepsy Therapy Project and holds the Elsie and Isaac Fogelman endowed chair in pediatric neurology at UCLA.

Dr. Schultz is a nurse scientist and pediatric nurse practitioner with over 30 years’ experience providing family-centered care to children with neurological conditions. She is an Associate Professor at Texas Woman’s University, Nelda C. Stark College of Nursing in Houston. TX and Assistant Professor, Section of Pediatric Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Schultz received her PhD in Nursing Science from Texas Woman’s University and Masters in Science and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from the University of Texas in Galveston. Research interests include access to care, acquisition of self-management skills, and transition from pediatric to adult care for youth with neurological disorders. She has lectured widely on issues related to pediatric epilepsy and has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on epilepsy and related topics. She is active in community service and leadership in epilepsy societies on the local and national levels. She served on the National Epilepsy Foundation of America Professional Advisory Board from 2012 to 2020. She is currently an active member of the Epilepsy Foundation-Houston affiliate Professional Advisory Board, the American Academy of Neurology Epilepsy Quality Measure Development Work Group, the Child Neurology Foundation Transition Project Advisory Committee, and the Association of Child Neurology Nurses. Dr. Schultz has won numerous honors and awards for her contributions to the field of epilepsy and clinical care of children with neurological diseases including Fellow in the American Epilepsy Society, Dreifuss Lecturer, Nurse Practitioner Excellence in Child Neurology Nursing Award, and Excellence in Nursing Practice Award. 

Donald has spent 28 years in the pharmaceutical industry working in positions of increasing responsibility at Allergan, IPSEN Biopharmaceuticals and Deknatel – A Division of Pfizer. His experience has spanned from selling pharmaceuticals, surgical devices and topical skincare, to leading U.S. and international sales and marketing teams, corporate account management, leading reimbursement policy and access teams, and sales operations. Donald’s has spent approximately 24 years working in Neurology and Physical Rehabilitation medicine and has served on the Corporate Advisory Councils of the Child Neurology Foundation, American Academy of Neurology and American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Donald holds a Bachelors degree from Rutgers College and a Certificate in Healthcare Management from New York University.

Donald is a retired military officer.

Donald has served on the Board of the Orange County United Way and is currently on the Foundation Board of the Children’s Specialized Hospital of New Jersey.

Dr. Chadehumbe is a board-certified neurologist with special qualification in Child  Neurology, with extensive clinical and academic experience in the field. Most of her  career was spent in academic practice at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  (CHOP) where she was an Associate Professor, Headache Fellowship Director and  Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Division of Neurology at CHOP/University  of Pennsylvania until 2022 and, was recipient of the 2021 PENN Pearl Award for  medical student teaching. She is set apart by her championing of children and adults  with neurodevelopmental differences. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Eden  Autism services- a non-profit organization that has a care model developed to  service the life span of individuals and families with autism. Through that work, she  recognized the paucity of care as these children age out of child neurology practices. 

She recently joined Neurabilities where she serves as the Division Head for  Neurology and Developmental Pediatrics. Her transition to Neurabilities, was  prompted by her passion to provide comprehensive clinical care in neurobehavioral  and general child neurology to the adolescent population and beyond. In her role,  she is making strides in bridging the care gap for aging individuals with  neurodevelopmental differences by allowing the care to extend beyond the age of  21 with many of her patients now extending to the early 30s where they can be  more safely transitioned in a stable manner to the primary care physician. Through  the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), she is the course director for 2022 and  2023 for the course – “Child Neurology for the Adult Neurologist” where continued  advocacy and education for the adult colleagues is emphasized. Her desire to see  that adult neurologists feel prepared for the aging child with disabilities is seen to  extend, in her work and volunteer life, to expand the child neurology community.  She has also been a strong advocate for diversity, inclusion and anti-racist  curriculum. She was the Director for JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) at  CHOP and currently the course director through the AAN for –“The Common goals of  Wellness and DEI Initiatives”-(2022 and 2023). Furthermore, she currently serves on the AAN Diversity officer and the American Headache Society (AHS) Diversity  Initiatives workgroups. Likewise, she has a strong desire to see these initiatives  enhanced within the CNF.

Initially educated and trained in India, Dr. Agarwal trained in child neurology at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Agarwal is currently an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Agarwal has a dual expertise in Maternal Fetal Medicine and Fetal Neonatal Neurology.  

She has authored several publications and has a special interest in medical education/mentoring. She has been honored with numerous awards including the Child Neurology Society Outstanding Junior Member Award (2016), Thomas Jefferson Faculty Teaching Award (2018), CHOP Neurology Resident Teaching Award (2020), and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2020 A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award. She was an awardee of the AAN Transforming Leaders Program 2021 and is serving on national workgroups.  

As an Associate Editor of JCN/Child Neurology Open, she has developed a series of podcasts in fetal neonatal neurology as a resource for families and medical professionals. Throughout her diverse career path Dr. Agarwal is committed to being an advocate for maternal, fetal, neonatal, and child brain) health and strives to empower parents to partner in the care of their children as they blossom over the years. 

Jason began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP as a senior associate in their assurance and business advisory services group. Since then, he has spent time at Liz Claiborne, Sears Holdings, and The Children’s Place with a focus on finance, as well as accounting, strategy and operations. After over 20 years in the corporate sector, he moved to the not-for-profit world as CFO of New Classrooms Innovation Partners.  In his most recent position with ADL, as Vice President of Finance, he is directly responsible for the accounting, finance and payroll functions.  His focus is on building relationships and working tactically and strategically with business partners to build businesses, streamline processes, and enhance collaboration cross functionally.  Jason holds a B.S. in accounting from Yeshiva University.

Dr. Geetanjali Rathore, nominated by Board member Dr. Sonika Agarwal and herself, joins the CNF with a stellar background in pediatric neurology. Dr. Agarwal’s nomination highlights Dr. Rathore’s exceptional contributions to child neurology, particularly in underserved areas. With a career marked by achievements and recognition, Dr. Rathore brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the board. 

Dr. Alison Christy is the clinical director of the pediatric neurology program at Providence Health and Services in Portland, and the director of the Providence Center for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology. She is deputy editor of the Journal of Child Neurology and chair of the History Section of the American Academy of Neurology. With Zach London of the University of Michigan, she has made games for neurology education, including Endowed Chairs: Neurology and Neurdle, which can be found at neurdgames.com. You can find her on Twitter/X at @OligoclonalBand.

Donald Shields, MD has devoted three decades to children afflicted with epilepsy. As immediate past Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, he is one of the world’s foremost experts on pediatric epilepsy. He currently serves as Emeritus Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at UCLA. As a forceful advocate for the early use of surgery to treat some childhood epilepsy syndromes, his efforts have established UCLA as one of the world’s leading centers for pediatric epilepsy surgery, treatment and research. In 1980, he championed the founding of the UCLA Pediatric Epilepsy Program to fulfill his vision of a comprehensive epilepsy treatment and research center focused on epilepsy in infants and young children.

Dr. Mary L. Zupanc is a clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of California-Irvine (UCI). Until 2021, she was also the Co-Medical Director of the Neuroscience Institute at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.   

Dr. Zupanc received her undergraduate degree in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin—Madison in 1974 and her MD degree from UCLA in 1979. She completed her pediatric residency training at the University of Washington—Seattle/ Harbor –UCLA Medical Center and her pediatric neurology training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the mentorship of Dr. Raymond Chun. Subsequently, her training in epilepsy was broad, with additional training at the University of Wisconsin, UCLA, and Stanford University. She was instrumental in the development of comprehensive pediatric epilepsy programs at the Mayo Clinic, Columbia University, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and most recently, the University of California-Irvine/Children’s Hospital of Orange County. 

Dr. Zupanc is board certified in Pediatrics, Neurology with special competency in Child Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology, and Epilepsy. She has published many articles in peer reviewed journals on a variety of topics, including neonatal seizures, infantile spasms, pediatric epilepsy surgery, and the efficacy of felbamate in intractable pediatric epilepsy. 

Dr. Zupanc has been a member of the Child Neurology Society (CNS) and the American Epilepsy Society (AES) since the early 1980s. She has had an active role in the CNS and has served on several committees, including the Membership, Electronics, and Legislative Committees. She has also been the Chair of the CNS RVU Task Force, which published an article in Neurology, January 2021, entitled:  Child Neurology in the 21st Century—More than the Sum of our RVUs.  In addition, Dr. Zupanc has been active in AES, having served on the nominating committee and as co-chairperson for the Women with Epilepsy special interest group. Currently, Dr. Zupanc is partnership with the AES in the development of the AES Epilepsy Fellowship curriculum.  

Dr. Zupanc has been a member of the Professors and Educators of Child Neurology (PECN) for many years. In addition, Dr. Zupanc has served on the ABPN Maintenance of Certification Committee and has completed two terms as a member of the United Council of Neurological Subspecialties. Dr. Zupanc has also been a program director for pediatric neurology residency training programs at the University of Wisconsin and the University of California-Irvine. She is passionate about education and has been given multiple awards for her teaching and clinical care.  In October 2021, at the CNS meeting in Boston, Dr. Zupanc was the recipient of the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Award.