Elizabeth E. Gerard, MD, FACNS is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and an epileptologist and clinical neurophysiologist at Northwestern Medicine. She is the founding director of the women with epilepsy program at Northwestern and co-director of the translational adult epilepsy genetics program. She also serves as the director for clinical neurophysiology fellowship program and has received several awards for her teaching.

Dr. Gerard’s clinical and academic interests include providing expert epilepsy care to persons with epilepsy who are assigned female at birth. She has been fortunate to be involved in the Maternal Outcomes and Neurodevelopmental Effects of Anti-Seizure Medication (MONEAD) study, serving as site principal investigator at Northwestern. Her research has included patterns of breastfeeding in mothers with epilepsy, as well as appropriate patient counseling regarding contraception and epilepsy.

Inspired by patients and their questions about the etiology of their epilepsy, Dr. Gerard began offering genetic counseling to adult epilepsy patients in 2012 and has directed an adult epilepsy genetics clinic since 2017. Along with a unique adult epilepsy genetics team, Dr. Gerard offers clinical genetic testing and counseling to adults with epilepsy. This leads to answers for many patients and new research into the genetic causes of epilepsy. 

To view a full list of Dr. Gerard's 50+ publications, visit her PubMed page.

Education & Training

  • BS: Yale University (1998)
  • MD: Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2003)
  • Resident, New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University, Neurology (2007)
  • Fellow, New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University, Epilepsy/Clinical Neurophysiology (2009)

Board Certifications

  • Board Certification: Clinical Neurophysiology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Board Certification: Epilepsy, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Board Certification: Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology