Udaya Kumar Kakarla MD

As a child in India, Kumar Kakarla, MD, thought he’d be an engineer like his father. He even entered architecture school to pursue that ambition. Before his engineering education began, however, he learned that an uncle living in the United States had secured visas for his family. They immigrated to the southwestern U.S. in 1991.

After earning his BS in chemistry at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Dr. Kakarla focused on helping his family financially. As he worked as a chemist, he began to realize his desire to become a physician. He developed a passion for human anatomy, especially neuroanatomy because it was objective and offered him the opportunity to work with his hands. He liked the challenge of diagnosing a neurological problem, then being able to offer a solution to that problem. Neurosurgery was a perfect fit.

Dr. Kakarla is an expert in the treatment of pediatric spinal deformity, particularly scoliosis. He enjoys helping children, and his goal is to establish the Barrow Neurological Institute at Dignity Health-St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix as the leading center for the treatment of scoliosis in the country.