Akila Ramaraj, MD

Bio

Dr. Akila Ramaraj is a pediatric surgeon who joined CHKD in October 2026. They grew up in New Jersey and have enjoyed working with children and families from a young age. They were drawn to surgery because of its hands-on nature and the opportunity to build lasting relationships with patients and their families.

During residency, Dr. Ramaraj completed a research fellowship at Seattle Children’s Hospital and obtained a Master of Public Health from the University of Washington. Their research focused on improving clinical outcomes for patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and those requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). As part of that work, they helped develop multidisciplinary rounds for patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

During their pediatric surgery fellowship in Memphis, Dr. Ramaraj gained experience caring for children with a wide range of congenital conditions and received advanced training in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. They also trained at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, gaining experience in pediatric cancer care.

Dr. Ramaraj’s clinical interests include complex congenital anomalies, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, extracorporeal life support, surgical oncology, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, and improving access to surgical care.

Outside of work, Dr. Ramaraj enjoys playing board games with their husband, weightlifting, crocheting, and knitting. They have a cat and a dog and hope to foster animals in the future.