Dr. Navaneetha Sasikumar

India

Research Award2023

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WINNER BIO

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatric Cardiology at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala, India. My training in Pediatrics, Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology was completed at renowned institutions in India and Canada. I worked in internationally reputed centers in India before I embarked on additional training in the field of Pediatric and Adult congenital heart disease interventions in Toronto. Upon returning, I helped establish a pediatric and congenital heart program in a public sector institution in Kerala, India. Thereafter I joined my current position where I took lead to establish the transcatheter pulmonary valve program. I also established the Adult Congenital Heart Disease service and database for the department in the last couple of years.

Clinical areas of interest include Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Congenital and Structural Cardiac Interventions. My research interest is focused on addressing ongoing practical issues in low- and middle-income countries, including management of late presentation of congenital heart disease and improving early detection of critical congenital heart disease. In early 2023, I will be initiating a study funded by the Indian council of medical research which is targeted to address the latter.

Research on outcomes of particular surgical and interventional treatment modalities in these settings is another of my interests. I have developed a mobile application tool as part of a mobile application which is called “the smiling heart” app. The tool has been designed to enable Pediatricians and Neonatologists in early detection of critical congenital heart disease. The tool is planned to be applied in a real-world scenario as part of a study. I also serve voluntarily as an expert for the state-run congenital heart disease programs in the states of Kerala and Meghalaya in India.