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Dr Pradnya Gadgil is a Senior Consultant in Paediatric Neurology with a special interest in complex Epilepsy. She has had a career and training span across India and the UK. After graduating from BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai with honours she completed her training in Paediatric medicine in the UK. Thereafter she trained in Paediatric Neurology and Complex epilepsy with a focus on epilepsy surgery in centres of excellence. In Mumbai, she did a fellowship at PD Hinduja Hospital - mentored by Dr Vrajesh Udani. In London, she trained at Great Ormond Street Hospital which is a quaternary paediatric neurology centre and a referral centre for complex Epilepsy and Epilepsy Surgery in the UK.

Dr Gadgil joined Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital as a consultant in Paediatric Neurology. She set up the paediatric neurology department - developed paediatric epilepsy services which included Video EEG, Epilepsy Surgery along with intraoperative monitoring. She also set up the Department for Developmental Disorders which was inaugurated in 2015 – offering dedicated and comprehensive neurorehabilitation for children.

After 9 years at KDAH, Dr Gadgil has joined NH SRCC Children’s Hospital as a Senior Consultant in Paediatric Neurology and Complex Epilepsy. She anchors a dedicated paediatric complex epilepsy service and epilepsy surgery program. This program aims to offer cutting edge epilepsy care to children.

Dr Gadgil is a teacher for DNB paediatrics at KDAH. She was also an assistant professor and mentor for Pediatric epilepsy MUHS fellowships at GMC and Sir JJ group of hospitals.

In collaboration with the British Paediatric Neurology Association, Dr Gadgil has been part of the team that brought the PET 1 (Paediatric epilepsy training) course to India and is now the country coordinator. So far,1500 paediatricians have attended PET 1 across India

Another mission close to Dr Gadgil’s heart is her work with Samman. She is a joint secretary in the Samman- Mumbai branch of the Indian Epilepsy Association. Dr Gadgil initiated an epilepsy school awareness program for teachers. What initially started as an in-person program in 2015,

This Article grew to be a virtual program during the pandemic. So far approximately 7000 teachers have been addressed directly by the Samman team.

Dr Gadgil also conceptualised and implemented the making of animation videos in local languages explaining the basics of epilepsy in this video A third pet project was starting rural epilepsy camps – in association with the local government health service in Dahanu. Camps are conducted quarterly -patients are seen by a team of neurologists from Mumbai, medications are distributed as needed and those requiring neurorehabilitation are taught home programs by therapists.

Another passion for Dr Gadgil has been a rare disease called Tuberous Sclerosis complex. She has put together a team of experts who look after patients with TSC in a multi-disciplinary fashion. She is the director of the first and only TSC clinic in Asia recognised by Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, USA view video. She is currently trying to set up an Indian Natural History Database for TSC.

Dr Gadgil has presented at multiple national and international scientific meetings. She has notably represented India as an invited speaker at the 13th European Congress of Epileptology, Vienna in 2018 and the 2022 World TSC Conference in Dallas.

For complex epilepsy evaluation:

For management of stroke and other cerebrovascular conditions:

• Interventional radiology

For management of genetic/ metabolic conditions:

• Genetics department
• Biochemistry department

Experience:

Dr. Pradnya Gadgil graduated from B.Y.L. Nair Hospital, Mumbai with honours. She completed her training in Paediatric medicine in the UK. Thereafter she trained in Paediatric Neurology and Complex Epilepsy in London. She has worked in centres of excellence in her super-speciality. Great Ormond Street Hospital is a quaternary paediatric neurology centre with one of the best paediatric complex epilepsy services in the world. She has also worked as a Paediatric Neurology Fellow in P. D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai for 2 years thus giving her a very broad local experience as well.

KDAH Experience :

• Complex Epilepsy:

  Dr. Pradnya Gadgil has joined Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital as a full-time consultant in Pediatric Neurology since 2013. She is passionate about the management of surgically remediable epilepsies in children, such as cortical dysplasias, epilepsies resulting from gliotic scars, etc. This is a subgroup of potentially treatable epilepsies in what is otherwise a chronic and significantly lifestyle limiting disease.

  Dr. Gadgil specialises in :

  • Presurgical evaluation of refractory epilepsy
  • Invasive monitoring for lesion negative/ multilesional epilepsy
  • Alternative solutions for refractory epilepsy - Ketogenic diet, etc

• Developmental disorders:

  Dr Pradnya Gadgil also initiated the setting up of the Department of Developmental Disorders in conjunction with the already well-established department of neurorehabilitation.

  This department has a multidisciplinary team of paediatric physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, special educators, paediatric clinical psychologists and counsellors. This caters to a large group of patients with issues in walking, speaking, behaviour, learning, etc.

Professional Highlights:

• Examiner for the Child Neurology Group, Mumbai’s fellowship exam.
• National coordinator for the Paediatric Epilepsy Training (PET) program- run in association with British Paediatric Neurology Association. In 2015 over 500 paediatricians across India were trained in basic management of epilepsy through these programs.
• Dr Gadgil is actively associated with Samman, Mumbai sub chapter if Indian Epilepsy Association. She has piloted the ‘Epilepsy School Awareness Program’. This generates awareness regarding epilepsy amongst school teachers of Mumbai- thus hoping to eventually educate the upcoming generations.
• Dr Gadgil has organised MANDS training workshop in KDAH for parents of children with autism.
• National Trainer for IAP Presidential Action Plan 2012 ‘Epilepsy and Movement Disorders’ Module

Publications :

• American Epilepsy Society 2016 Annual Meeting Poster presentation titled “Outcome of epilepsy surgery in a developing country in a heterogenous group of adults and children”
• Vigabatrin-induced reversible changes on magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in Neurology India 2015 May-Jun
• Nonparaneoplastic Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis: A Case Series of Four Children in Paediatric Neurology 2012
• Paediatric Epilepsy: The Indian experience in Journal of Paediatric Neurosciences 2011
• Monograph-Infantile spasms in British Medical Journal- BMJ Point of Care October 2010
• Management of Refractory Epilepsy in Childhood in Pediatric Therapeutics 2009
• American Epilepsy Congress, Philadelphia 2007; Poster presentation “New onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) with generalized dyskinesia- a new ACTH responsive syndrome”
• Co-authored 3 chapters in IAP Specialty Series on Rational Antimicrobial Practice In Pediatrics (Under IAP action plan 2006) - Penicillins and monobactams, Antifungals, Antimicrobial therapy in empyema thoracis

Awards:

‘Best Award Paper’ ECON 2010, Indore ‘Vigabatrin induced MRI changes in infants’

Associations/Professional Membership:

• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, UK
• Indian Academy of Paediatrics (Neurology Subchapter)
• International League Against Epilepsy, UK
• Indian Epilepsy Society
• Samman and Indian Epilepsy Association