Dr. Takijah T. Heard, MD

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Get to know Pediatric Neurologist Dr. Takijah T. Heard, who serves patients throughout the State of Illinois.

Dr. Heard is a practicing pediatric neurologist & epileptologist. She practices within the Pediatric Neurology and Epilepsy program at NorthShore University HealthCare System, seeing patients at the offices in Evanston, Lincolnshire, and Wilmette, Illinois.

NorthShore’s Pediatric Neurology and Epilepsy program provides family-centered diagnosis and comprehensive care for children with disorders of the brain and nervous system. While closely collaborating with the child’s pediatrician, as well as the Developmental-Behavioral Clinic, with physical and occupational therapists, the referral physicians and staff care for children with neurological disorders.

“I have a collaborative approach to overall wellness that strikes a balance with medical health and improved quality of life” expressed Dr. Heard. She focuses on a range of neurological disorders in infants, children and teenagers, including: difficult to treat pediatric epilepsy, use of intracranial and extracranial devices, EEG reading, general neurology, migraine headaches, neurological disorders, and sleep-related movement disorders. 

Before embarking on her professional journey, Dr. Heard graduated with her medical degree from the University of Chicago – Pritzker School of Medicine in 2006. She performed her internship and residency in pediatrics at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, IL in 2006 and 2008, respectively. 

Furthering her training, she completed an additional residency in clinical neurology in the Harvard Hospital Systems at Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Isreal Deaconess Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital with her primary children’s hospital being Boston Children’s Hospital in 2011. A year later, she performed a fellowship in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology within the Harvard Hospital system.

With a passion for treating children, the doctor attained board certifications collectively in epilepsy, neurology, and child neurology through the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (ABPN). The ABPN is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to serving the professions of psychiatry and neurology. Furthermore, Dr Heard gives back by travelling abroad to various African and Latin speaking countries to help with treating pediatric patients and patients with epilepsy on a global scale. 

Neurology is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system. A child neurologist, or pediatric neurologist, is a doctor who treats children who have problems with their nervous system. Problems in the nervous system can start in the brain, spine, nerves, or muscles. These can lead to problems such as seizures, headaches, or developmental delays.

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