Dr. Krithika Lingappan, a distinguished Indian American physician-scientist focusing on the biological mysteries of the youngest patients, has been named as the next Section Head of Neonatology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She will assume her new position on Sept.1.
Lingappan will join the University of Colorado Anschutz from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was recently promoted tenured professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology.
Lingappan’s path to the upper echelons of American medicine began in India. She earned her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in 2002 from Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai. Before moving to the United States, she furthered her clinical foundation as a resident at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh.
Her transition to the U.S. saw her complete a pediatric residency at the University of Chicago and a fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital. While at Baylor College of Medicine, she balanced clinical duties with rigorous academic inquiry, earning both a PhD and an MS in the Clinical Scientist Training Program.
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An internationally recognized expert, Lingappan focuses on the biological mysteries of the youngest patients. Her pioneering research explores sex-specific mechanisms of neonatal lung injury, specifically why premature male and female infants often face different clinical outcomes.
Her work is supported by significant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and she has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed papers. Her leadership was formally recognized in 2022 when she was elected to the American Pediatric Society.
Beyond her research, Lingappan is noted for her commitment to “paying it forward.” Throughout her career at Baylor and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, she has mentored a diverse range of students, from medical residents to postdoctoral fellows.
“Dr. Lingappan brings an exceptional record of clinical innovation and program development,” the university said in its announcement. In Colorado, she will oversee neonatal operations and quality improvement across a vast perinatal network. Her arrival is expected to strengthen the section’s status as a national leader in both research innovation and high-stakes clinical care.