Sanjeev Kumar, an Indian American professor of anesthesiology and director of the Endoscopic Spine Surgery Fellowship at University of Florida (UF) has been appointed chief of UF Health Pain Medicine in Gainesville.
As chief, the Delhi University alumnus will oversee clinical operations, champion academic missions, lead administration, and ensure strategic growth, according to a university release.
“I’m honored to serve as chief and grateful to work alongside a team dedicated to outstanding patient care, education, research, and innovation,” said Kumar.
Read: Indian American founded Aiseptor joins Cornell Tech’s Runway Startup program (September 24, 2026)
His responsibilities include creating clinical protocols, ensuring quality and safety across interventional services, supervising credentialing, and collaborating with other administrators to establish clear performance standards for faculty and staff.
Kumar is excited to see what he and his team can accomplish together. “I look forward to building on the division’s strengths by expanding access to comprehensive pain care and endoscopic spine surgery, supporting our faculty and staff, advancing patient outcomes, and training the next generation of specialists,” he said.
Kumar earned his medical degree from Delhi University in India, where he also completed an anesthesiology residency at Safdarjung Hospital. After moving to the U.S., he completed another anesthesiology residency and a pain medicine fellowship at Wayne State University in Michigan.
Read: Indian American professor Thimmasettappa Thippeswamy wins Zoetis Research Award (September 1, 2026)
He joined the UF Department of Anesthesiology as an assistant professor in 2014 and became a professor in 2025. Kumar pioneered endoscopic spine surgery at UF Health. He saw a need for physicians who specialize in minimally invasive spine interventions, leading to the creation of UF’s Endoscopic Spine Surgery Fellowship in 2023.
Kumar says he decided to become a doctor to help people that suffer from acute or chronic pain and strives “to get to the bottom of why you are hurting so that we can ‘fix’ the problem.”
Kumar’s grant-funded research work uses artificial intelligence in image analysis to create smart software that can guide future fluoroscopy-guided procedures. Endoscopic spine surgery, trigeminal neuralgia, and facial/head pain are his specific interests besides any chronic pain from head to toe.