Department of Pediatrics

Education

• MBBS, Gold medal in Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences, 1992
• MD, Maulana Azad Medical College , 1996

Training

• Fellowship, University of Kentucky (Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine), 2000 - 2003
• Residency , University of Kentucky, 2003 - 2005

Licensure and Board Certification

• Neonatal Resuscitation Program
• 1996Medical Council of India
• 2005 - 2007KY
• 2005 - 2012American Board of Pediatrics
• 2006 - 2017MO
• 2008 - PresAmerican Board of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
• 2015 - PresAmerican Board of Pediatrics (recertification)

Honors and Awards

• Ranked 143rd out of ~60,000 in M.B;B.S entrance examination (Delhi University, India), 1987
• Gold Medal in Biochemistry, 1st MBBS (India), 1988
• Stood 5th in the Final MBBS Examination conducted by Delhi University, 1991
• Ranked 129th out of ~10,000 in Post-Graduate entrance examination (Delhi University, India), 1993
• Nominated for the PN Taneja Award for best dissertation during postgraduate training, 1995
• Trainee Travel Award (Southern Society for Pediatric Research), 2001
• Chief Fellow, Neonatal-perinatal Medicine, University of Kentucky, 2002 - 2003
• Trainee Travel Award (Southern Society of Pediatric Research), 2003
• Outstanding Resident, Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of Kentucky, 2003 - 2004
• Newborn Medicine Follow Up Clinic: April Faculty Recognition from Division of Newborn Medicine, 2011
• Golden Collaborative Award (awarded to SLCH team by the CHND/CHA for efforts in the STEPP IN project ), 2015
• Silver Sustainabilty Award (Awarded by the CHA/CHNC to the SLCH team for the STEPP IN project), 2015
• First Place: A Sustained Inter-Professional Improvement Initiative for Unplanned Extubation Reduction in the NICU. 2020 Patient Safety & Quality Symposium, 2020

Recent Publications view all (37)

Publication Co-Authors

Shalini Shenoy, M.D.

Christopher McPherson

Zachary A. Vesoulis, MD MSCI

Amit M Mathur, M.D., M.R.C.P.

Steve M. Liao, M.D., MSCI

Halana Whitehead, MD

Francis Sessions Cole, III, M.D.

Washington University has a long tradition of collaboration amongst colleagues.The faculty above have co-authored publications with Rakesh Rao, M.D.

1. Rao R, Mietzsch U, DiGeronimo R, Hamrick SE, Dizon MLV, Lee KS, Natarajan G, Yanowitz TD, Peeples ES, Flibotte J, Wu TW, Zaniletti I, Mathur AM, Massaro A.. Utilization of Therapeutic Hypothermia and Neurological Injury in Neonates with Mild Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Report from Children's Hospital Neonatal Consortium. J Perinatol . 2020. doi:doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1716341.  PMID:32892328 
2. Whitehead HV, McPherson CC, Vesoulis ZA, Cohlan BA, Rao R, Warner BB, Cole FS.. The Challenge of Risk Stratification of Infants Born Preterm in the Setting of Competing and Disparate Healthcare Outcomes J Peds. 2020;223:194-196. doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.04.043   PMCID: PMC7476078  PMID:32711746 
3. Morris HF, Schuller L, Archer J, Niesen A, Ellsworth S, Egan J, Rao R, Vesoulis ZA, Mathur AM.. Decreasing Unplanned Extubation in the Neonatal ICU With a Focus on Endotracheal Tube Tip Position Respir Care. 2020. doi: doi: 10.4187/respcare.07446  PMID:32265290 
4. Rao R, Lee KS, Zaniletti I, Yanowitz TD, DiGeronimo R, Dizon MLV, Hamrick SE, Natarajan G, Peeples ES, Murthy K, Mathur AM, Massaro A. Antimicrobial therapy utilization in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE): a report from the Children's Hospital Neonatal Database (CHND) J Perinatol. 2020;40:70–78. doi:DOI: 10.1038/s41372-019-0527-2  PMID:<31611619> 
5. Rakesh Rao , Kyong-Soon Lee, Isabella Zaniletti, Toby D. Yanowitz , Robert DiGeronimo, Maria L. V. Dizon, Shannon E. Hamrick, Girija Natarajan, Eric S. Peeples, Karna Murthy, Amit M. Mathur, An Massaro. Antimicrobial therapy utilization in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE): a report from the Children’s Hospital Neonatal Database (CHND) Journal of Perinatology. 2019;40(1):70-78. doi:10.1038/s41372-019-0527-2  
6. Kerri Z. Machut, Ankur Datta, Jason Z. Stoller, Rakesh Rao, Amit Mathur, Theresa R. Grover, Zeenia Billimoria, Karna Murthy. Association of neonatologist continuity of care and short-term patient outcomes J Peds. 2019;212:131-136. doi:doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.05.023  PMID:31201026 
7. Machut KZ, Datta A, Stoller JZ, Rao R, Mathur A, Grover TR, Billimoria Z, Murthy K.. Association of Neonatologist Continuity of Care and Short-Term Patient Outcomes. J Peds. 2019;2019 Sep;212:131-136.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.05.023.   PMID:31201026 
8. Lust C, Vesoulis Z, Jackups R Jr, Liao S, Rao R, Mathur AM. Early red cell transfusion is associated with development of severe retinopathy of prematurity. J Perinatol. 2019;39(3):393-400. doi:doi: 10.1038/s41372-018-0274-9. Epub 2018 Nov 20.  PMCID:PMC6391181  PMID:30459388 
9. Dizon MLV, Rao R, Hamrick SE, Zaniletti I, DiGeronimo R, Natarajan G, Kaiser JR, Flibotte J, Lee KS, Smith D, Yanowitz T, Mathur AM, Massaro AN.. Practice Variation ni anti-epileptic drug use for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy among regional NICUs BMC Pediatrics. 2019;19(1):67. doi:doi: 10.1186/s12887-019-1441-7.  PMID:30813933 
10. Natarajan G, Mathur A, Zaniletti I, DiGeronimo R, Lee KS, Rao R, Dizon M, Hamrick S, Rudine A, Cook N, Smith D, Flibotte J, Murthy K, Massaro A; Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium (CHNC).. Withdrawal of Life-support in neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy Pediatr Neurol. 2019;91:20-26. doi:doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2018.08.027. Epub 2018 Nov 23.  PMID:30559002 
11. Rao R, Trivedi S, Distler A, Liao S, Vesoulis Z, Smyser C, Mathur AM.. Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in neonates with Mild hypoxic-ischemic encephaloapthy treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia Am J Perinatol. 2019. doi:doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1676973.  PMID:30609430 
12. Whitehead HV, Vesoulis ZA, Maheshwari A, Rao R, Mathur AM. Anemia of prematurity and cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy: should transfusion thresholds in preterm infants be revised? J Perinatol. 2018. doi:doi: 10.1038/s41372-018-0120-0  PMID:29740185 
13. Vesoulis ZA, Liao SM, Rao R, Trivedi SB, Cahill AG, Mathur AM. Re-examining the arterial cord blood gas pH screening criteria in neonatal encephalopathy Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. . 2017. doi:<10.1136/archdischild-2017-313078>  PMID:28942435 
14. Bhandari R, Lindley A, Bhatla D, Babic A, Mueckl K, Rao R, Brooks P, Geiler V, Gross G, Al-Hosni M, Shenoy S. Awareness of cord blood collection and the impact on banking. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2017;64(7). PMID:28111924 
15. Vesoulis ZA, Rao R, Trivedi SB, Mathur AM. The effect of therapeutic hypothermia on heart rate variability. J Perinatol. 2017;37(6):679-683. doi:10.1038/jp.2017.42  PMID:28383534 
16. Trivedi SB, Vesoulis ZA, Rao R, Liao SM, Shimony JS, McKinstry RC, Mathur AM. A validated clinical MRI injury scoring system in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Pediatr Radiol. 2017;11(47):1491-1499. doi:10.1007/s00247-017-3893-y. Epub 2017 Jun 16.  PMID:28623417 
17. Morales DM, Silver SA, Morgan CD, Mercer D, Inder TE, Holtzman DM, Wallendorf MJ, Rao R, McAllister JP, Limbrick DD Jr. Lumbar Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus of Prematurity: Amyloid Precursor Protein, Soluble Amyloid Precursor Protein α, and L1 Cell Adhesion Molecule. Neurosurgery. 2017;80(1):82-90. PMCID:PMC5326702  PMID:27571524 
18. Rao R, Trivedi S, Vesoulis Z, Liao SM, Smyser CD, Mathur AM. Safety and Short-Term Outcomes of Therapeutic Hypothermia in Preterm Neonates 34-35 Weeks Gestational Age with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy J Pediatr. 2016. doi:doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.11.019  PMID:27979578 
19. Massaro AN, Murthy K, Zaniletti I, Cook N, DiGeronimo R, Dizon ML, Hamrick SE, McKay VJ, Natarajan G, Rao R, Richardson T, Smith D, Mathur AM; Children's Hospital Neonatal Consortium. Intercenter Cost Variation for Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy in the Era of Therapeutic Hypothermia. J Peds. 2016;173:76-83. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.02.033  PMID:26995699 
20. Srinivasakumar P, Zempel J, Trivedi S, Wallendorf M, Rao R, Smith B, Inder T and Mathur A. Treating EEG seizures in Hypoxic Ischemic encephalopathy: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2015;136(5):e1302-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-3777  PMID:26482675 
21. Yarborough CK, Bandt SK, Hurth K, Wambach JA, Rao R, Kulkarni S, White FV, Frater JL, Leonard JR. Congenital Acute leukemia with unique translocation t(11;19)(q23;p13.1) Cureus. 2015;7(7):e289. doi:10.7759/cureus.289  PMCID:4523210  
22. Juan Remon, Sachin Amin, Sangeeta Mehendale, Rakesh Rao, Angel Luciano, Steven Garzon, and Akhil Maheshwari . Depth of Bacterial Invasion in Resected Intestinal Tissue Predicts Mortality in Surgical Necrotizing Enterocolitis J Perinatol. 2015. 
23. Morales DM, Holubkov R, Inder TE, Ahn HC, Mercer D, Rao R, McAllister JP 2nd, Holtzman DM, Limbrick DD Jr. Cerebrospinal fluid levels of amyloid precursor protein are associated with ventricular size in post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus of prematurity. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0115045. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0115045  PMCID:PMC4349693  PMID:25738507 
24. Massaro AN, Murthy K, Zaniletti I, Cook N, DiGeronimo R, Dizon M, Hamrick SE, McKay VJ, Natarajan G, Rao R, Smith D, Telesco R, Wadhawan R, Asselin JM, Durand DJ, Evans JR, Dykes F, Reber KM, Padula MA, Pallotto EK, Short BL, Mathur AM. Short-term outcomes after perinatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy: a report from the Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium HIE focus group. J Perinatol. 2014. doi:10.1038/jp.2014.190  PMID:25393081 
25. Liao SM, Rao R, Mathur AM. Head Position Change Is Not Associated with Acute Changes in Bilateral Cerebral Oxygenation in Stable Preterm Infants during the First 3 Days of Life. Am J Perinatol. 2014. doi:10.1055/s-0034-1390348  PMID:25282608 
26. Murthy K, Evans JR, Bhatia AM, Rothstein DH, Wadhawan R, Zaniletti I, Rao R, Thurm C, Mathur AM, Piazza AJ, Stein JE, Reber KM, Short BL, Padula MA, Durand DJ, Asselin JM, Pallotto EK, Dykes FD. The association of type of surgical closure on length of stay among infants with gastroschisis born≥34 weeks' gestation. J Pediatr Surg. 2014;49(8):1220-5. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2013.12.020  PMID:25092080 
27. Srinivasakumar P, Limbrick D, Munro R, Mercer D, Rao R, Inder T, Mathur A. Posthemorrhagic ventricular dilatation-impact on early neurodevelopmental outcome. Am J Perinatol. 2013;30(3):207-14. doi:10.1055/s-0032-1323581  PMID:22898993 
28. Rao R, Bryowsky K, Mao J, Bunton D, McPherson C, Mathur A. Gastrointestinal complications associated with ibuprofen therapy for patent ductus arteriosus. J Perinatol. 2011;31(7):465-70. doi:10.1038/jp.2010.199  PMID:21252965 
29. Rao R, Mashburn CB, Mao J, Wadhwa N, Smith GM, Desai NS. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in infants <32 weeks gestational age: correlation with antenatal factors and postnatal outcomes. Pediatr Res. 2009;65(5):548-52. doi:10.1203/PDR.0b013e31819d9ea5  PMCID:PMC2735819  PMID:19190539 
30. Vachharajani AJ, Rao R, Keswani S, Mathur AM. Outcomes of exomphalos: an institutional experience. Pediatr Surg Int. 2009;25(2):139-44. doi:10.1007/s00383-008-2301-y  PMID:19066916 
31. Rao R, Sampers JS, Kronsberg SS, Brown JV, Desai NS, Anand KJ. Neurobehavior of preterm infants at 36 weeks postconception as a function of morphine analgesia. Am J Perinatol. 2007;24(9):511-7. doi:10.1055/s-2007-986675  PMID:17907073 
32. Rao R, Shashidhar H. Intestinal lymphangiectasia presenting as abdominal mass. Gastrointest Endosc. 2007;65(3):522-3, discussion 523. doi:10.1016/j.gie.2006.10.026  PMID:17321261 
33. Rao R, Lowas S, Shashidhar H. Surgical complications of Salmonella Enteritis. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2005;44(9):767-9. PMID:16327962 
34. Rao R, Logan B, Forrest K, Roszman TL, Goebel J. Lipid rafts in cytokine signaling. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 2004;15(2-3):103-10. doi:10.1016/j.cytogfr.2004.01.003  PMID:15110794 
35. Goebel J, Forrest K, Flynn D, Rao R, Roszman TL. Lipid rafts, major histocompatibility complex molecules, and immune regulation. Hum Immunol. 2002;63(10):813-20. PMID:12368033 
36. Rao R, Desai NS. OxyContin and neonatal abstinence syndrome. J Perinatol. 2002;22(4):324-5. doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7210744  PMID:12032797 
37. Rao R, Ramji S. Pulse oximetry in asphyxiated newborns in the delivery room. Indian Pediatr. 2001;38(7):762-6. PMID:11463963