Dr Ailsa McLellan

Dr Ailsa McLellan is a dedicated Consultant Paediatric Neurologist and Consultant Paediatrician who specialises in providing expert neurological care for infants, children, and young people. With a compassionate and child-centred approach, Dr McLellan provides thorough diagnostic evaluations and ongoing clinical management for a wide variety of complex neurological conditions. She pays special attention to guiding young patients and their families through every step of their care journey, supporting seamless transition pathways from paediatric to teenage specialist care.

Within her specialist practice, Dr McLellan focuses on tertiary paediatric epilepsy services, delivering comprehensive management for difficult-to-treat seizures. Her clinical capabilities encompass advanced treatment modalities, including Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) therapy, ketogenic diet therapy, and anti-epileptic pharmacological management, alongside leading multidisciplinary surgical evaluations for paediatric epilepsy surgery. Her areas of clinical research and focus also include the aetiology of childhood epilepsy, seizure detection, sleep-disordered breathing, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), and the assessment of cognitive and behavioural outcomes in children with neurological conditions.

Dr McLellan maintains an active involvement in medical education, professional governance, and clinical guideline development. She serves as an Honorary Senior Lecturer, sharing her clinical expertise with future specialists, and has previously held key educational leadership positions, including Training Programme Director and Head of School for paediatric training. She holds executive roles in major professional organisations, serving as President of the British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPNA), Chair within the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Specialty Advisory Committee, and as a founding member of the Scottish Paediatric Epilepsy Network (SPEN).