Dr. Navaneetha Sasikumar (Navni)

Dr. Navaneetha (Navni) Sasikumar is a pediatric and adult congenital interventional cardiologist with nearly two decades of experience caring for patients with congenital heart disease. She completed advanced fellowship training in pediatric and adult congenital interventional cardiology at the University of Toronto under the mentorship of Dr. Lee Benson, and has since led innovative clinical programs across India, including at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, one of the country’s most respected academic pediatric cardiac centers. Dr. Sasikumar established and expanded interventional programs in resource-limited settings, introduced new transcatheter devices and valve technologies, and independently performed a broad range of complex catheter-based procedures. She received solo certification for Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation from Medtronic in 2022 and launched the MyVal transcatheter valve program for native right ventricular outflow tracts in 2024.

Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Sasikumar founded one of India’s first Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) clinics and database systems, organized the first Amrita ACHD Symposium with international participation, and has contributed to state-level public health initiatives focused on increasing access to cardiac care for children in underserved regions. She also developed “Smiling Heart,” a mobile application for early critical CHD detection, and received the Women as One Escalator Award for Research for this work. In addition to her ongoing academic and research pursuits, Dr. Sasikumar is dedicated to compassionate, family-centered care, ensuring patients and families feel supported through personalized guidance and continuity of care.