Dr Micheál Taylor

Dr Micheál Taylor is a Consultant Paediatric Neurologist and expert witness at Leeds Children's Hospital and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, where he has served as a consultant since 2022. His principal areas of expertise include paediatric headache disorders, migraine, epilepsy, complex developmental epileptic encephalopathies, Dravet syndrome, cerebral palsy, neurodevelopmental disorders and disorders affecting the muscle and peripheral nervous
system.

 He provides specialist assessment, investigation, diagnosis and management for infants, children and adolescents presenting with a broad range of neurological conditions, including seizures, developmental delay, gait disorders, traumatic brain injury, neuroinflammatory diseases and complex neurological presentations. He leads a dedicated NHS headache service, accepting referrals from across the North of the UK for quaternary headache opinion. He also runs a specialist clinic for children with Dravet syndrome and has received multiple awards from Dravet Syndrome UK, including being highly commended for Clinician of the Year and receiving a special award for empowering families. His practice combines the management of common neurological disorders with the assessment of rare and complex conditions requiring detailed clinical evaluation and multidisciplinary care.

 In addition to his clinical work, Dr Taylor is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds, Chair of the BPNA Child Headache Network and Governance and Mortality Lead for Paediatric Neurosciences. These national leadership and academic roles reinforce his standing as a recognised authority in paediatric neurology.

Dr Micheál Taylor has undertaken medico-legal practice since 2024, providing independent expert opinion in paediatric neurology matters involving children and young people. He accepts instructions in clinical negligence, personal injury, criminal and family cases, with his medico-legal work informed by his specialist expertise across a broad range of neurological disorders affecting the paediatric population. He prepares screening, breach of duty, causation, and condition and prognosis reports, offering clear, balanced and evidence-based opinions. Dr Taylor is particularly well placed to advise on cases involving epilepsy, complex developmental epileptic encephalopathies, Dravet syndrome, cerebral palsy, paediatric headache disorders, traumatic brain injury, neurodevelopmental disorders, disorders of muscle and nerve, gait abnormalities and other complex neurological presentations, assisting solicitors in understanding the neurological issues central to liability, causation and prognosis.

Dr Taylor's current clinical practice encompasses the assessment, investigation and management of children and young people with a wide range of neurological disorders, from common presentations to rare and highly complex conditions. He spends much of his clinical time evaluating patients with epilepsy, including complex developmental epileptic encephalopathies and Dravet syndrome, alongside children with cerebral palsy, developmental disorders and disorders affecting the peripheral nerves and muscles. His work also includes the assessment of gait abnormalities, seizure disorders, transient loss of consciousness, neonatal neurological conditions and traumatic brain injury.

A significant aspect of his practice is the diagnosis and treatment of paediatric headache disorders, particularly migraine, where he leads a dedicated specialist service and performs greater occipital nerve injections for appropriately selected patients. He also has extensive experience managing children with neuroinflammatory disorders, including multiple sclerosis, MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), neuromyelitis optica and autoimmune encephalitis. His day-to-day practice involves coordinating multidisciplinary care, interpreting complex neurological presentations and delivering individualised management plans for children with acute, chronic and rare neurological conditions.

Dr Taylor is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds and is actively involved in clinical research as Principal Investigator on multiple paediatric neurology studies. He has authored publications in leading peer-reviewed journals, including *The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health* and the *European Journal of Paediatric Neurology*, reflecting his ongoing contribution to advancing the understanding and management of complex neurological disorders in children.