Katherine Nickels

Dr. Nickels is certified in Neurology, with special qualifications in Child Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology, and epilepsy.  She is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic.  She has expertise in pediatric epilepsy and analysis of clinical EEG, both scalp and intracranial recordings.  She has expertise in treating pediatric epilepsy through pharmacologic, dietary, and surgical methods.  Her research experience includes multiple epidemiology studies using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, regarding diagnosis, treatment, comorbidities, and outcome of pediatric epilepsy.

Furthermore, she teaches maturational changes in EEG as the EEG course coordinator for both the Neurology residents and fellows, and also for the Clinical Neurophysiology Tech program at Mayo Clinic, Rochester.  In that role, she has received the Outstanding Physician/Scientist Educator award and is an Associate in the Academy of Educational Excellence at Mayo Clinic.

She collaborates with pediatric epilepsy specialists throughout the country as a leader of the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium (PERC) to determine best practices and treatments for early onset pediatric epilepsy encephalopathies, with particular attention to infantile spasms/West Syndrome and myoclonic atonic epilepsy/Doose syndrome.  She is also an active volunteer for the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota, serving on the Professional Advisory Board and the Regional Advisory Council.