Kanishka Ratnayaka, MD
Dr. Kanishka Ratnayaka is a pediatric cardiologist with sub-specialty training in pediatric and congenital interventional cardiac catheterization at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. He has been working in research collaboration with NHLBI/NIH on interventional cardiovascular MRI for nine years. His clinical practice focuses on congenital and structural heart interventions. His primary research interest is interventional cardiovascular MRI. He was the principal investigator for the NHLBI/NIH Pediatric Interventional Cardiovascular MRI Contract that inspired opening an interventional cardiac MRI suite in April 2013. His work has recently focused on both clinical real-time interventional MRI and X-ray fused with MRI (XFM). He is the principal investigator in a clinical trial that will soon enroll children for radiation-free cardiac catheterization guided by real-time MRI. His first author paper was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology—Intervention showing that XFM technology can simplify ventricular septal defect device closure is faster and reduces radiation exposure compared with the conventional X-Ray conduct. This was a prelude to an ongoing pediatric clinical trial in which Dr. Ratnayaka is the principle investigator. Dr. Ratnayaka’s team is exploring and testing novel MRI catheter, device, and interventional guidewire designs. Other research interests and work include device development for novel applications, bioabsorbable stents for pediatric use, invasive pericardiology, and fetal cardiac MRI. He is a founding member and Vice President of a 501(c)(3) charitable organization geared toward implementing innovative healthcare and education projects for children around the world. World Children’s Initiative is currently focused on Project Heart: Uganda is building a sustainable cardiac catheterization program at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda to diagnose and treat children with heart disease.