MOBILE, Ala. – Board-certified neonatologist Gangajal Kasniya, MBBS, FAAP, recently joined the staff at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital to help care for extremely premature and sick infants in the region’s only level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

As part of the region’s leading academic health system, Kasniya will also serve as an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama.

Kasniya earned a medical degree from Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur, Rajasthan, in India. His pediatric residency was completed at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Chicago, followed by a neonatology fellowship at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York.  He underwent specialized training at Cohen’s that included ultrasound training and neonatal ultrasound modalities.

Previously, he served as a neonatologist at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans where he also supervised medical students and those seeking degrees as advanced practice providers.

His main research interest lies in the use of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in the NICU, a topic he presented during a September 2024 lecture at the American Academy of Neonatal Nurses National Conference in New Orleans.

“This technology has the potential to significantly enhance the quality of care, improve patient safety, and reduce radiation exposure in neonatal settings,” said Kasniya, who also has published two research articles on the topic.

“I aspired to become a physician because of the opportunity to help those in need while leading a fulfilling life,” Kasniya said. “I am particularly drawn to neonatology because of its teamwork environment, the chance to perform hands-on critical care procedures, and the unique responsibility of being the first responder for the tiniest patients.”

The neonatologist said the ability to interact with families and, ultimately, the incredible feeling of fulfillment when a newborn is discharged from the NICU into the arms of its family is truly rewarding. “Caring for newborns and nurturing them into healthy infants is both gratifying and challenging,” he said. “I find great satisfaction in anticipating potential complications in a baby’s condition and being proactive in managing them.”

He chose to work in an academic health setting because it’s crucial for personal and professional growth: “I am deeply passionate about teaching and mentoring, and my goal is to establish a POCUS program for pediatric residents at USA Health, as well as for our NICU.”

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Other memberships include the American Federation for Medical Research; Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research; Trainees and Early Career Neonatologists; and the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.