Venkatraman Radhakrishnan MD, DM, DSc

Dr. Venkatraman Radhakrishnan decided to pursue a career in medicine as he was intrigued by the complexities of the human body. He is passionate about research in pediatric cancers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). He believes that LMICs should form collaborative research groups and conduct clinical trials that address local problems to improve outcomes for children with cancer rather than extrapolating literature from high-income countries as the ground realities are different in these two settings. He believes that free medicines alone cannot improve outcomes of children with cancer in LMICs but a holistic approach to patient care that includes reducing treatment abandonments, improving nutrition, psychological and economic support for families, continuing informal education during treatment, providing a home away from home for families to stay, and reduction of infections and research are essential to achieve success in pediatric oncology in LMICs.

Dr. Radhakrishnan earned his doctorate (D.M) in Medical Oncology in 2011 from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, India, and his MD in Pediatrics in 2003 from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, India. He was awarded the silver medal for the best resident during his pediatrics training and gold medal for the best fellow in medical oncology and the gold medal for the best research by a fellow at AIIMS. These awards were conferred on him by the President of India.

Dr. Radhakrishnan was trained in the United Kingdom for two years under the International Pediatrics Training Scheme of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health.

Dr. Radhakrishnan currently works at Cancer Institute (W.I.A) in Chennai, India, where he is a Consultant in Medical and Pediatric Oncology. Dr. Radhakrishnan oversees the pediatric oncology division in his hospital. He is responsible for the management of 300 new pediatric patients every year. He is involved with the training of fellows in medical and pediatric oncology and is responsible for the academic fellowship program. He is actively involved with research and is the principal investigator for seven ongoing clinical trials, among which three are multi-centric. He is the chairman of the hospital patient safety committee and his other administrative responsibilities include coordination with donors and funding agencies.