Samir R Karia, MD - Norton Children's Refractory Epilepsy Clinic

Cemal Karakas, M.D., is child neurologist with Norton Childrens Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Karakas is also an assistant professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the University of Louisville and serves as a pediatric epileptologist at Norton Childrens Hospital. He is a member of American Epilepsy Society, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and the American Academy of Neurology.Dr. Karakas is a graduate of Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey. Following his medical school, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He then completed pediatrics residency and pediatric neurology fellowship at State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center in New York. Afterwards, he completed clinical neurophysiology fellowship and epilepsy fellowship at Texas Childrens Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He has been involved in several research projects in epilepsy during his residency and clinical fellowship.Dr. Karakas clinical focuses include treatment of medically refractory epilepsy, surgical epilepsy, and neurostimulation (VNS, RNS). His main goal is to help children enjoy the healthiest life possible and to make a positive impact in their life.

Dr. Mutchnick came to Louisville as a resident in neurological surgery in 2003 and liked it here so much he stayed. He grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and after graduating from college joined the Peace Corps, serving as a math and science teacher in Tanzania, East Africa, and becoming fluent in the Swahili language. Seeing so many underserved people there inspired him to pursue medicine. Prior to medical school, Dr. Mutchnick spent two years studying decision making at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Decision making - good decision making - is the very heart of the patient experience, believes Dr. Mutchnick, helping people understand what is at stake and allowing them to apply their own perspectives and values to that decision is one of the most important things I do. He welcomes patients and families seeking second opinions.While Dr. Mutchnick practices all kinds of pediatric neurosurgery cerebrospinal fluid shunts, Chiari malformations, tethered cords and trauma form a large part of what he cares for he specializes, as well. He is an active part of the craniofacial program at Norton Childrens Hospital and works closely with the pediatric plastic surgery service on even the most complex cases. He is also the Surgical Director of both the Pediatric Epilepsy program as well and the Functional/Spasticity program. Dr. Mutchnick has several research and humanitarian interests. Chief among them is an interest in the neuroscience of human conflict. He regularly provides free pediatric neurosurgical care to children in the West Bank and Gaza and is developing research protocols to understand how children deal with and recover from trauma. He is also interested in how people identify as part of a group and how that changes their understanding of information - a key part of human conflict. He is looking at how best to put information together to help patients make good decisions about simple tethered cords - a condition for which we have no clear way to make a conclusive diagnosis.

Siddharth V. Jain, M.D.,is a pediatric neurologist and epileptologist with Norton Childrens Neuroscience Institute. He specializes in treating pediatric patients with neurological disorders, including migraine, headaches and seizures.Dr. Jain earned his medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, and completed his residency in pediatric neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee. He completed a fellowship in pediatric neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, and a fellowship in epilepsy at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Ohio.When away from work, Dr. Jain enjoys spending time with his family and traveling to and exploring new places.