Sudarshawn Damodharan, DO
Sudarshawn Damodharan, DO
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Director, Pediatric Neuro-Oncology
Director, Chicagoland Children's Health Alliance (CCHA)
Specialties
- Pediatric Hematology & Oncology (Pediatric Cancer)
Locations
- Chicago - Comer Children's Hospital
- Orland Park
- About
- Specialties & Areas of Expertise
- Locations & Patient Information
- Education & Research
- Accepted Insurance
- External Professional Relationships
My name is Sudarshawn Damodharan, and I'm a pediatric neuro-oncologist. So what that means is I originally trained as a pediatric hematologist oncologist and actually did additional training in pediatric neuro-oncology. And what that really is, is I care primarily for children, adolescents, and young adults with brain and spinal cord tumors, as well as caring for the population that are predisposed to those types of tumors. So more specifically, neurofibromatosis type one and neurofibromatosis type two.
I became a physician because really I love engaging with our patients. Early on in my career, I love nothing more than engaging my patients. And initially, thinking about surgery and medicine, I knew that I loved the direct patient care, the longitudinal care, being able to utilize all the research that's going on surrounding us to be able to provide the best care we can for our patients. So which really drove me to becoming a physician.
I was drawn to University of Chicago Comer Children's as well as at Chicagoland Children's Health Alliance because the opportunity really-- it's a great group of people that are invested in the patient population that we're serving. Specific to neuro-oncology, I think it's a great need. It's something that's unique to the patient population that-- certainly that I take care of, as well as the host of us take care of around the area as well. I think all the resources that have been provided to us are exemplary, and I think they really drive us and motivate us, and me specifically, in order to provide the best care we can for our patients.
It sounds cliche, but my philosophy really is the patient comes first. One of my all-time mentors told me initially when I was starting is there's a lot of things we can do to our patients. But truly, we need to think about what we can do for our patients. And that's really stood in within me.
In pediatric neuro-oncology, there are a lot of great situations we run to, but there are a lot of tough situations that we have as well. And I'm happy to always go above and beyond, always looking to think about the next innovative therapy we can provide for our patients and their families.
I think being able to-- in pediatric neuro-oncology specifically, it's truly multidisciplinary care. It takes much more than me to care for the patients that we take care of there. And I think with that, it comes with amazing communication that's needed. And I love being able to work as part of a great team. And I know here we have a great team that's here. And I'm happy to be joining that team too, in order to care for our patients with brain and spinal cord tumors and being able to play my part, help be the leader of that team and really being able to offer our patients unique therapies to provide them the best outcomes that they can.
Having a deep understanding of the complex nature of pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors, Dr. Damodharan is determined to offer his patients personalized treatment plans and ongoing care that meets their specific needs. He works tirelessly to ensure that each child receives the most effective care and provides continued support as his patients and their families navigate the emotional and psychological impacts of diagnosis and treatment throughout their healthcare journey.
Areas of Expertise
Board Certifications
- Pediatrics
Practicing Since
- 2017
Languages Spoken
- English
- Tamil
Medical Education
- Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
Residency
- University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics
Fellowship
- University of Wisconsin Hospitals; Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital
News & Research
Insurance
- Aetna Better Health *see insurance page
- Aetna HMO (specialists only)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO
- Aetna POS
- Aetna PPO
- BCBS Blue Precision HMO (specialists only)
- BCBS HMO (HMOI) (specialists only)
- BCBS Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO
- BCBS PPO
- Cigna HMO
- Cigna POS
- Cigna PPO
- CountyCare *see insurance page
- Humana Medicare Advantage Choice PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage Gold Choice PFFS
- Humana Medicare Advantage Gold Plus HMO
- Medicare
- Multiplan PPO
- PHCS PPO
- United Choice Plus POS/PPO
- United Choice HMO (specialists only)
- United Options (PPO)
- United Select (HMO & EPO) (specialists only)
- United W500 Emergent Wrap
- University of Chicago Health Plan (UCHP)
Our list of accepted insurance providers is subject to change at any time. You should contact your insurance company to confirm UChicago Medicine participates in their network before scheduling your appointment. If you have questions regarding your insurance benefits at UChicago Medicine, please contact our financial counseling team at OPSFinancialCounseling@uchospitals.edu.
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