Dr. Neelu Desai is a full time Hospital Based Consultant in Paediatric Neurology at P. D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai. She is also an Honorary Consultant in Child Neurology at LTM Medical College and Sion Hospital, Mumbai. PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai is one of the pioneer and best institutes in India for Comprehensive Child Neurology Services and is a tertiary referral centre for child neurology from all over India and neighbouring countries.
Dr Neelu Desai is a focused, diligent and compassionate Child Neurologist with more than 12 years of experience in the field. She has a keen interest in managing children with refractory epilepsy, demyelinating disorders and cerebral palsy. She is an active member of the Child Development Centre at Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai which provides holistic rehabilitation and early intervention to children with neurological diseases. Dr. Neelu Desai has a love for teaching and academics with a five year teaching experience as a lecturer in Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology. She is also a teacher for DNB Paediatrics and MUHS accredited Pediatric Neurology fellowships at Hinduja hospital.
Dr. Neelu Desai did her initial Child Neurology training at BJ Wadia Children’s hospital, Mumbai for 5 years as a lecturer. This is one of the best, multidisciplinary tertiary care Paediatric super specialty hospitals in public sector of Mumbai and India and a topmost tertiary referral centre for neurological patients from all over India.
She furthered her knowledge in the field of Child neurology and epilepsy at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London and was the recipient of the prestigious Bill Marshall Fellowship which is given annually to one doctor from South Asia. This prestigious institute is one of the best centres in world for research in childhood illnesses. She worked as a Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Neurology and was an integral part of the Child Neurology team where she gained excellent experience in Complex epilepsy, Electrophysiology as well as Clinical Neurology and contributed for various research projects.
In past, she has headed the Joint Cerebral Palsy Clinic and Child Development Centre at Jupiter Hospital, Thane which provides a holistic care for children with cerebral palsy. She is also involved in training of the electrophysiology technicians and maintaining quality control.
Gene therapy in Spinal muscular atrophy, Pediatric Epilepsy by ILAE, Advanced EEG and Neuroimaging courses of ILAE, Courses in neuromuscular disorders, movement disorders etc
- Full time hospital-based Consultant at PD Hinduja Hospital since March 2014. Worked as a Junior Consultant In Pediatric Neurology for one year prior to that.
- Visiting Consultant in Pediatric Neurology at Jupiter Hospital Thane once a week.
- Prior to this was attached to eminent hospitals of Mumbai as a visiting Pediatric Neurologist for 5 years.
- Incharge of the multidisciplinary Spinal Muscular Atrophy Clinic at Hinduja hospital. Also part of the complex epilepsy clinic. Treating critical neurology inpatients in Pediatric and Neonatal intensive care. Reporting of all electrophysiology tests including Electroencephalogram, Video EEGs, Nerve Conduction studies, BERA, SSEP and Visual Evoked Potential.
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and Institute of Child Health More than one-year clinical fellowship in Pediatric Neurology at this prestigious institute, one of the largest centers in world for research in childhood illnesses. Have gained considerable experience in epilepsy, electrophysiology as well as clinical Neurology during this period. Under supervision of guide Prof Helen Cross, also written various papers for international journals and presented papers in international conferences.
- B J Wadia Hospital – Worked as a lecturer in Pediatrics in this tertiary level Pediatric superspeciality hospital for 4.5 years with a keen interest in Pediatric Neurology, epilepsy and developmental Pediatrics. Bai Jerbai Wadia hospital is a multidisciplinary tertiary care super specialty hospital and a reference centre for patients from all over India. She was working in the pediatric neurology division having a database of over 6000 patients,
- B. Y. L. Nair Hospital – 3 years resident’s post during post-graduation and 6 months as a lecturer in this 1100 bedded hospital with 90 pediatric beds including 6 in PICU and 25 in NICU.
Life member -
- International Child Neurology Association (ICNA)
- International League against Epilepsy (ILAE)
- Indian Epilepsy Association
- Association of Child Neurology
- Paediatric Neurology Division of IAP
- Indian Academy of Paediatrics
- Indian Medical Association
- Child Neurology Group
Section Editor of Neurology section in the book ‘Algorithms in Pediatrics”,
Book chapter on Inforn errors of metabolism in API Textbook of Medicine
Reviewer for various international and national journals like ‘Epilepsia’, Seizure, Pediatric Radiology, Scientific reports, Annals of IAN etc
- Distinctions in Medicine, Gynecology-Obstetrics, Pharmacology and Microbiology during MBBS.
- Charles Morehead award for highest marks in practical medicine in IIIrd MBBS in Mumbai University.
- Dr. J.K. Mehta award for highest marks in practical medicine in IIIrd MBBS in Mumbai University.
- Tara Mudgal Award for securing first rank in IIIrd M.B.B.S in LTM Medical College, Mumbai.
- B M Bhargava prize for winning competitive exam in Gynecology and Obstetrics.
- First prize in award winning paper on ‘Pulmonary Function Test: A tool for monitoring respiratory status in chronic persistent asthma’ at Embicon 2000.
- Awarded the travel bursary for platform presentation at 6th Asian Oceanian epilepsy congress, Kuala Lumpur, 2006.
- Awarded the Bill Marshall Fellowship, UK, 2008 given to one doctor from south Asia every year.
Principal investigator for the following multicentric international trials:
- A randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intrathecal (IT) OAV101 in patients with later onset Type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who are ≥ 2 to < 18 years of age, treatment naive, sitting, and never ambulatory.
- ML43557-Observational, Non-Interventional, Postmarketing Surveillance study of Risdiplam in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patients in India
Asian Oceanian Child Neurology congress 2025, International Child Neurology congress- 2024, 2022, 2018; various national pediatric and pediatric neurology conferences, ILAE Congress, BPNA etc
1. Desai N, Roy S, Coutinho F, Kaser U. Onasemnogene Abeparvovec in Early‑Onset Spinal Muscular
Atrophy: An Indian Experience. Accepted for Annals of IAN.
2. Agarwal A, Desai N, Phalgune D, Udani V. Sleep-related breathing disorders in children with epilepsy: Prevalence and risk factors. Accepted for Annals of IAN
3. Roy S, Desai N, Ali B, Udani V. Genotypic and radiological expansion of CONDSIAS. BMJ Case Rep. 2026 Jan 14;19(1):e268935.
4. Gandikota A, Desai N, Gajendragadkar A. Neurologic Presentation in Human Metapneumovirus - Beyond the Lungs. J Child Neurol. 2025 Oct 15:8830738251383178. doi: 10.1177/08830738251383178. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41091940.
5. Vishal Sondhi, DM, Neelu Desai, MD, Lokesh Lingappa, DM, Vrajesh Udani, MD, et al. Validation And Modified Application Of The 2023 International Expert Consensus Criteria For Diagnosing MOGAD Among Children With Acquired Demyelination In Resource Limited Regions. Ped Neurology. Articles in Press. August 19, 2025
6. Tabani, A., Desai, N. & Sane, S. Another Cause for HyperCKemia. Indian Pediatr 62, 175 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-025-3387-1
7. Desai NA, Lachake AV, Shah NK. Juvenile Xanthogranuoma Mimicking Brain Tumor. Neurol India. 2022 Sep-Oct;70(5):2335-2337.
8. Nitika G, Neelu Desai. Early Neuroimaging in Zellweger Spectrum Disorders. Neurol India 2022;70:172-3
9. Desai NA, Manchala DA, Patki NI. ADCY5 Mutation-Movement Disorder with Sleep Disruption Improving with Caffeine. Neurol India. 2022 Sep-Oct;70(5):2211-2212. doi: 10.4103/0028-3886.359291. PMID: 36352647.
10. Lachake AV, Desai N, Udani V. 'To reveal or to conceal'- Disclosure strategies in parents of children with epilepsy in India. Seizure. 2021 Oct;91:507-512. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2021.07.026. Epub 2021 Jul 26. PMID: 34371247.
11. N Desai, R Badheka, N Shah, V Udani Pediatric Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: Two Unique Cases with a Review of all Reported Children.. Journal of Pediatric Neurology 2021.https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1722959
12. Udani V, Badheka R, Desai N. Prolonged Fever: An Atypical Presentation in MOG Antibody-Associated Disorders. Pediatr Neurol. 2021 Sep;122:1-6.
13. Mandli AH, Desai NA, Badheka RS, Udani VP. Paroxysmal Nonepileptic Events in a Pediatric Epilepsy Clinic. J Pediatr Neurosci. 2021 Jan-Mar;16(1):17-23.
14. Coutinho F, Saxena G, Shah A, Tilak S, Desai N, Udani V. Mobile media exposure and use in children aged zero to five years with diagnosed neurodevelopmental disability. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2020 Aug 13:1-7.
15. Chawla P, Misra BK, Udani V, Desai N, Gupta S. Correlation of Preoperative Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with Intraoperative Cortical Stimulation in Surgeries of Eloquent Brain Lesions. Neurol India 2022;70:1534-9.
16. Lokhande, R.V., Bhagure, G.R., Dherai, A.J., Naik PR, Udani VP, Desai NA, Ashavaid TF. Analytical Method Validation for Estimation of Neurotransmitters (Biogenic Monoamines) from Cerebrospinal Fluid Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Ind J Clin Biochem (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-020-00949-8.
17. Desai N, Desai A (2016) Mishaps in the Washroom-A Rare Case. J Neurol Neurophysiol 7:396.
18. Desai NA, Udani V. GPR56-Related Polymicrogyria: Clinicoradiologic Profile of 4 Patients. J Child Neurol. 2015 Nov;30(13):1819-23.
19. Abhijeet Botre, Vrajesh Udani, Neelu Desai, Spoorthy Jagadish, Milind Sankhe. Emergency Surgery for Refractory Status Epilepticus. Indian Pediatrics 2017.
20. Udani V, Desai N. Proposed International League Against Epilepsy Classification 2010: New Insights. Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 2014, 81: 9; 883-887.
21. Vrajesh Udani, Neelu Desai, Abhijeet Botre. Partial Manifestation of Anti-NMDA-R Encephalitis with Predominant Movement Disorder. MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE 2015 doi:10.1002/mdc3.12221.
22. Mohanty S, Shah I, Rao S, Desai N. Unusual presentations of posterior fossa tumors in children. Indian J Pediatr. 2010 Sep;77(9):1039-40.
23. Desai N, Pressler RM, Jolleff N, Clark M, Neville B, Eltze C, Harkness W, Cross JH. Early-onset symptomatic focal epilepsy: a dilemma in the timing of surgery. Epileptic Disord. 2008 Dec;10(4):356-61. doi: 10.1684/epd.2008.0214. PMID: 19017580
24. Neelu Desai, Madhvi Shelke, Anaita Hegde, KN Shah. Role of short duration outpatient Video EEG monitoring in Children. Neurology Asia, 2007; 12(Supplement I): 80-81.
25. Shah Neelu, Kher A, Lahiri K, Kandalkar BM. Annuloaortic ectasia in two siblings. Indian Pediatr. 2002 Apr;39(4):395-8
26. Dave MB, Dherai AJ, Udani VP, Hegde AU, Desai NA, Ashavaid TF. Comparison of transferrin isoform analysis by capillary electrophoresis and HPLC for screening congenital disorders of glycosylation. J Clin Lab Anal. 2017 Feb 25. FULL TEXT LINK
27. NA Desai, A Desai. Congenital anomalies: a prospective study. Bombay Hospital J 48 (3), 442-445 12 2006
28. MB Dave, AJ Dherai, VP Udani, AU Hegde, NA Desai, TF Ashavaid Comparison of transferrin isoform analysis by capillary electrophoresis and HPLC for screening congenital disorders of glycosylation.. Journal of clinical laboratory analysis 32 (1), e22167 9 2018
29. DA Manchala, N Desai, V Udani, S Catherine. Comparison Of 1981, 1989 And 2017 International League Against Epilepsy Classification (ILAE). EPILEPSIA 60, 33-33 2019
30. A Mandli, N Desai, R Badheka, V Udani, D Mhatre. Paroxysmal non epileptic events in pediatric epilepsy clinic: a descriptive study of etiology, proportion and therapeutic implications at a tertiary health care centre. Epilepsia 58, S135-S135 2017
31. N Desai, S Harrison, W Harkness, F Khadem, H Cross. Temporal lobectomy in children: predictors and outcomes: p560. Epilepsia 50 2009
32. M Macleod, B Harding, WK Chong, N Desai, H Cross, W Harkness, ...A re-evaluation of the clinical and pathological features of malformations of cortical development associated with epilepsy in children. BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 35, 7-7 2009
N Desai, V Iyer, M Panda, J Gogtay. Intranasal Midazolam in the Emergency Management of Pediatric Seizures-An Indian Perspective (The IMIDAPS Study)
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autism
Brain Injury & Concussions
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Epilepsy & Seizures
Encephalitis
Headaches & Migraines
Learning and Developmental Disorders
Metabolic Disorders
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neuromyelitis Optica
Neuromuscular Disorders
Perinatal Injury
Peripheral Neuropathy
Rett Syndrome
Tics & Tourette Syndrome
Tuberous Sclerosis
Kids neuroligical problems, epilepsy, seziures, SMA in kids
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