Venkatakrishna Kakkilaya, M.D.

Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

Pediatrics - Neonatal-Perinatal
Neonatal Ventilation
Clinical Quality Improvement

Biography

Venkatakrishna Kakkilaya, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine, including neonatal ventilation.

Dr. Kakkilaya earned his medical degree at Karnatak University in India. He completed residency programs in pediatrics at Dr. V.M. Government Medical College in India and at LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport. He received advanced training in neonatal-perinatal medicine through a fellowship at LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport.

Board-certified in both pediatrics and neonatology, Dr. Kakkilaya is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Royal College of Physicians.

He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2011 and currently serves as Director of Quality Improvement for the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.

Dr. Kakkilaya has delivered national and regional invited lectures and published numerous academic articles related to his areas of expertise. He serves as a reviewer for Pediatrics, The Journal of Pediatrics, Neonatology, and PLOS One.

In 2019, he earned the John Haven Emerson Award from the 36th Annual Advances in Therapeutics and Technology Conference.

Personal Note

When he’s not at work, Dr. Kakkilaya enjoys Indian classical music and travel.

Education & Training

Medical School - Karnatak University (1989-1990)
Residency - VM Medical College, India (1992-1993), Pediatrics
Fellowship - LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport (2007-2010), Neonatal-perinatal Medicine
Residency - LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport (2004-2007), Pediatrics

Professional Associations & Affiliations

American Academy of Pediatrics
Royal College of Physicians
Society for Pediatric Research
Southern Society for Pediatric Research

Honors & Awards

John Haven Emerson Award 2019, 36th Annual Advances in Therapeutics and Technology Conference
Young Investigator Award Finalist 2009, Southern Society for Pediatric Research
Travel Award 2008, Southern Society for Pediatric Research
Outstanding Resident 2004-2005, LSU Health Sciences Center

Books & Publications

Publications
- Evaluation of a respiratory care protocol including less invasive surfactant administration in preterm infants.
  Chan CS, Chiu M, Ariyapadi S, Brown LS, Burchfield P, Simcik V, Garcia K, Mazioniene K, Jaleel MA, Wyckoff MH, Kapadia VS, Kakkilaya V, Pediatric research 2023 Dec
- Risk Factors for Admission Hyperthermia and Associated Outcomes in Preterm Infants.
  Chiu M, Mir I, Adhikari E, Heyne R, Ornelas N, Tolentino-Plata K, Thomas A, Burchfield P, Simcik V, Ramon E, Brown LS, Nelson DB, Wyckoff MH, Kakkilaya V, The Journal of pediatrics 2023 Nov 113842
- RDS-NExT workshop: consensus statements for the use of surfactant in preterm neonates with RDS
  2023
- Should less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) become routine practice in US neonatal units?
  Kakkilaya V, Gautham KS, Pediatric research 2022 Aug
- Decreasing delivery room CPAP-associated pneumothorax at =35-week gestational age.
  Stocks EF, Jaleel M, Smithhart W, Burchfield PJ, Thomas A, Mangona KLM, Kapadia V, Wyckoff M, Kakkilaya V, Brenan S, Brown LS, Clark C, Nelson DB, Brion LP, Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2022 Feb
- Decreasing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Failure in Preterm Infants.
  Kakkilaya VB, Weydig HM, Smithhart WE, Renfro SD, Garcia KM, Brown CM, He H, Wagner SA, Metoyer GC, Brown LS, Kapadia VS, Savani RC, Jaleel MA, Pediatrics 2021 Sep
- Noninvasive Ventilation in the Delivery Room for the Preterm Infant.
  Weydig H, Ali N, Kakkilaya V, NeoReviews 2019 09 20 9 e489-e499
- Delivery Room Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and Pneumothorax.
  Smithhart W, Wyckoff MH, Kapadia V, Jaleel M, Kakkilaya V, Brown LS, Nelson DB, Brion LP, Pediatrics 2019 Aug
- Early predictors of continuous positive airway pressure failure in preterm neonates.
  Kakkilaya V, Wagner S, Mangona KLM, Steven Brown L, Jubran I, He H, Savani RC, Kapadia VS, Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2019 May
- The use of less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) in the United States with review of the literature.
  Kurepa D, Perveen S, Lipener Y, Kakkilaya V Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2019 Mar 39 3 426-432
- Quality Improvement Project to Decrease Delivery Room Intubations in Preterm Infants.
  Kakkilaya V, Jubran I, Mashruwala V, Ramon E, Simcik VN, Marshall M, Brown LS, Jaleel MA, Kapadia VS Pediatrics 2019 Jan
- Impact of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program-Recommended Low Oxygen Strategy on Outcomes of Infants Born Preterm.
  Kapadia VS, Lal CV, Kakkilaya V, Heyne R, Savani RC, Wyckoff MH The Journal of pediatrics 2017 Dec 191 35-41
- Otopalatodigital syndrome type 2 in a male infant: A case report with a novel sequence variation.
  Sankararaman S, Kurepa D, Shen Y, Kakkilaya V, Ursin S, Chen H Journal of pediatric genetics 2013 Mar 2 1 33-6
- Another case of genitopatellar syndrome: a case report with additional rare coexistences.
  Sankararaman S, Kurepa D, Velayuthan S, Kakkilaya V, Gates T, Ursin S, Chen H Clinical dysmorphology 2012 Aug
- Elevated Acetoacetate and Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 Levels in Cord Blood of Infants of Diabetic Mothers.
  Kurepa D, Pramanik AK, Kakkilaya V, Caldito G, Groome LJ, Bocchini JA, Jain SK Neonatology 2012 Jul 102 3 163-168
- Use of a Visual Aid to Improve Counseling at the Threshold of Viability.
  Kakkilaya V, Groome LJ, Platt D, Kurepa D, Pramanik A, Caldito G, Conrad L, Bocchini JA, Davis TC Pediatrics 2011 Nov
- Effect of placental transfusion on the blood volume and clinical outcome of infants born by cesarean section.
  Kakkilaya V, Pramanik AK, Ibrahim H, Hussein S Clinics in perinatology 2008 Sep 35 3 561-70, xi

Research

Less invasive surfactant administration
Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP): optimal delivery symptoms and weaning strategies in extremely low birth weight infants
Neonatal abstinence syndrome
New tools in improving informed decision making in the neonatal intensive care unit
Noninvasive respiratory support in preterm infants

Clinical Focus

Neonatal Ventilation
Clinical Quality Improvement