Double-board certified in pediatrics and pediatric hematology/oncology by the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Kanyalakshmi Ayyanar joined Valley Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in 2024.
Dr. Ayyanar completed a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (MBBS) at the prestigious Madurai Medical College, affiliated with the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in India, before going on to pursue a rigorous compulsory rotary resident internship for the Government Rajaji Hospital, also in India. She then went on to complete a residency in pediatrics at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital though Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New Jersey and a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology which she earned at Children’s Hospital of Montefiore in New York. Her commitment to pediatric cancer and blood disorders led to even more specialized training through another fellowship in pediatric neuro-oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Boston Children’s Hospital, affiliated with Harvard School of Medicine – one of the top research centers in the world for pediatric cancer and blood diseases.
With nearly three decades of specialized experience diagnosing and treating complex blood disorders and cancers in children, Dr. Ayyanar served as the division chief and professor of pediatrics at Albany Medical Center, where she was also director of the Melodies Center. Prior to this, she was at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation in Las Vegas as a pediatric neuro-oncologist and director of oncology, while also co-chairing the Internet Chemotherapy Order Entry Task Force and chairing the Multidisciplinary Pediatric Oncology Tumor Board. Dr. Ayyanar also previously worked at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, where she was the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program director, Neuro-Oncology Program director, associate professor of medicine and outpatient medical director.
With a passion for advancing pediatric hematology and oncology care, Dr. Ayyanar has made significant contributions to the field, having led several research activities, including the oversight of cancer control studies for Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and the feasibility and safety of surgical biopsies for patients. Dr. Ayyanar has shared her expertise in book chapters, abstracts, and lectures – internationally and nationally. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including Clinical Cancer Research, Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Molecular Biology of the Cell, to name a few.
Throughout her career, Dr. Ayyanar has been dedicated to improving patient outcomes through innovative treatment strategies and a compassionate approach to care, which has led to numerous honors and awards, including being named a Top Doctor by Hudson Valley Magazine and as an Exceptional Woman in Medicine by Castle Connolly four times during her career in Albany, New York. She was also honored as one of the Top Ten by COG National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) for her investigative study on the late effects of cancer control. For her work in Las Vegas, Dr. Ayyanar was also recognized as one of the Top Physicians in Southern Nevada by Desert Companion and as Best in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology twice by Vegas Seven.