The Division of Women’s Neurology, one of only three such programs in North America, bridges the broad specialty of neurology with subspecialties such as obstetrics, gynecology and women’s medicine.
We aim to:
- Provide specialized expert neurological care addressing the specific needs of individuals identifying as women at all stages of life
- Train experts in Women’s Neurology and Neuro-Obstetrics
- Lead Women’s Neurology research in clinical, translational, and population science, and mentor the next generation of Women’s Neurology investigators
Our highly trained clinicians and researchers integrate specialized knowledge regarding how hormonal and reproductive changes – such as pregnancy, menopause, the use of contraceptives and assisted reproduction – affect neurological health and disease. We collaborate closely with specialists at the flagship UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, including maternal-fetal medicine and women’s cardiology, to provide holistic, interdisciplinary neurological care for women.
Clinical conditions treated:
- Headache disorders: migraine, cluster headache, spinal headache
- Neuromuscular disorders: autoimmune neuropathy, Bell palsy, post delivery nerve disorders
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- Restless legs syndrome
- Neuroimmunological conditions in pregnancy
- Epilepsy and seizure disorders
- Cerebrovascular disorders: ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, transient ischemic attack, cerebral venous thrombosis, carotid or vertebral artery dissection, arteriovenous malformations, moyamoya syndrome, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
- Pregnancy- and menopause-associated cognitive disorders
Education
Our Women’s Neurology fellowship, one of only two in the United States, provides specialized training at the interface between neurological disorders and women's health across the lifespan. Our fellowship includes training with multiple subspecialists with a dedicated interest in women's neurological health, and an integrated multidisciplinary practice setting in Magee-Womens Hospital, where over 10,000 deliveries occur annually.
Research
We recruit research-oriented clinicians who investigate gender-specific issues that impact neurological disease, and collaborate closely with the world-renowned Magee-Womens Research Institute. Our researchers benefit from resources such as the Magee Obstetric Maternal and Infant (MOMI) Database and Biobank, a comprehensive clinical data warehouse containing information on over 200,000 individual deliveries.
Recent publications from our division include:
- Miller EC, Conley P, Alirezaei M, Wolfova K, Gonzales MM, Tan ZS, Tom SE, Yee LM, Brickman AM, Bello NA. Associations between adverse pregnancy outcomes and cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Healthy Longev. 2024 Dec;5(12):100660. doi: 10.1016/j.lanhl.2024.100660. Epub 2024 Dec 12. PMID: 39675366; PMCID: PMC11726346.
- Kirkpatrick L, Bell LA, Borcky T, Boutros-Khoury H, Hooven-Davis J, Rankine J, Robbins C, Syed T, Szoko N, Allison BA. Evaluation of a Pregnancy Options Counseling Curriculum for Pediatric Residents. J Adolesc Health. 2025 Mar;76(3):475-481. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.11.003. Epub 2024 Dec 15. PMID: 39674945; PMCID: PMC11875686.
- Kroopnick AJ, Miller EC. Approach to Altered Mental Status in Pregnancy and Postpartum. Semin Neurol. 2024 Dec;44(6):695-706. doi: 10.1055/s-0044-1788977. Epub 2024 Aug 16. PMID: 39151911.
- Li D, Franco S, Pennell PB. The impact of pregnancy-related hormonal and physiological changes on antiseizure medications: expert perspective. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2024 Aug;17(8):655-663. doi: 10.1080/17512433.2024.2356617. Epub 2024 May 21. PMID: 38748860.
- Kirkpatrick L, Bellinski II, Gerard EE, McElrath T, Pack AM, Meador KJ, Pennell PB. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Decision-Making About Reproductive Health and Epilepsy: A Survey of Health Care Providers and Women With Epilepsy. Neurol Clin Pract. 2025 Feb;15(1):e200420. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200420. Epub 2024 Dec 18. PMID: 39722779; PMCID: PMC11668518.
Women's Neurology Division Chief
Eliza C. Miller, MD, MS
millerec3@upmc.edu
412-692-4622
Women’s Neurology Clinical Specialists
Denise Li, MD (General Neurology, Headache, Epilepsy)
Eliza Miller MD, MS (Vascular Neurology)
Page Pennell, MD, FAES (Epilepsy)
Ingrid Loma-Miller, MD (Neuroimmunology)
Elissa Ortolani, MD (Pediatric and Young Adult Vascular Neurology)
Laura Kirkpatrick, MD (Child and Adolescent Neurology, Epilepsy)
Erika Kemp, PA-C (General Neurology, Epilepsy)