Sonan Bhalla, MD, is a Pediatric Neurologist and Epileptologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Assistant Professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She serves as Co-Director of the Neonatal Neurology Program, the only dedicated program of its kind in the Southeast providing specialized care for neonates and infants at high risk of neurological injury. Dr. Bhalla is also deeply committed to medical education and currently serves as Program Director for the Pediatric Epilepsy Fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine.

Originally from Mumbai, India, Dr. Bhalla's interest in neurology began during medical school and was strengthened through an international elective at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. She completed her residency training in child neurology at the University of Louisville where she served as Chief Resident and received the Chairmen's Achievement Award. She then pursued specialized training in neonatal neurology at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, followed by a pediatric epilepsy fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York.

At Children's, Dr. Bhalla plays a central role in inpatient neurological care, with a particular focus on EEG monitoring and the management of critically ill children with encephalopathy and seizures. Her clinical expertise includes neonatal neurology, early-life epileptic encephalopathies, such as infantile spasms syndrome, and medically refractory epilepsy. She is also involved in non-pharmacologic treatments for epilepsy, including epilepsy surgery evaluations and ketogenic dietary therapy. She provides care across multiple interdisciplinary clinics, including the Neonatal Neurology Clinic, Non-Epileptic Spell/Functional Neurological Disorder Clinic, Ketogenic Diet Clinic, Epilepsy Surgery Clinic and Neuromodulation Clinic.

Dr. Bhalla is also an active member of the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium where she is dedicated to advancing care and improving outcomes for children with epilepsy. Her work reflects a blend of clinical excellence, compassionate family-centered care and a commitment to innovation in pediatric neurology.

Honors and awards:

• Senior Physician Distinction Award, Emory University School of Medicine, 2024
• Research presentation award, 47th Annual Southeastern Neuroradiology Society Meeting, 2023
• Neurology on the Hill participant certificate, American Academy of Neurology, 2020
• Chairman’s Achievement Award, University of Louisville, 2018