Unni Udayasankar, MD, FRCR

Professor
Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology
Vice Chair, Quality and Safety
Fellowship Director, Neuroradiology

Unni Udayasankar, MD, FRCR is a Professor of Medical Imaging at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson and Banner-University Medical Center Tucson. He serves as faculty member in the Neuroradiology and Pediatric Imaging Divisions within the Department of Medical Imaging, specializing in pediatric neuroradiology.

Dr. Udayasankar also serves in the capacity of Vice Chair of Quality, Safety and Informatics and is the Director of the Neuroradiology Fellowship program at the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

Research Interests: 
  • Pediatric body and neuro MRI techniques
  • Radiation dose reduction techniques in children
  • Pediatric Inflammatory bowel disease
Degrees
  • MD: Kerala University, T D Medical College, Kerala, India, 1999
Honors and Awards
  • American Board of Radiology, Volunteer Service Award, 2024
  • Selected Co-Chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, University of Arizona College of Medicine, 2022
  • Certificate of Merit for Educational Exhibit presented at the ASNR22/SNR XXIII, May 2022. “Pediatric Spinal Lesions: Ultrasound and MRI Correlation”
  • Selected as Co-Chair of the RSNA/AUR Vice Chairs of Quality and Safety Special Interest Group, 2021
  • Faculty Mentoring Award: University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson, 2020
  • Selected as Co-chair of the ACR-SPR course in Pediatric Radiology, 2019
  • Caffey Award for Best Educational Exhibit at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Pediatric Radiology, May 2019 “Rapid MRI as accurate one-stop imaging for adnexal torsion”
  • American Roetgen Ray Society 2019 Bronze medal for the scientific exhibit Non-Enhanced MRI of the Abdomen in Comprehensive Evaluation of Acute Abdominal Pain in Children: A Paradigm Shift.
  • Award for Educational Poster at the first annual meeting of American Society of Pediatric Neuroradiology, January 2019 for “Uncommon Lytic Lesions of Skull in Children: Imaging findings”. Selected for possible publication in the journal Neurographics
  • Nominated for Clinical Excellence Award at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, September 2018
  • Selected to be a member of the “Neuroradiology Core Examination Committee” of the American Board of Radiology, April 2018
  • “Certificate of Merit” for Educational Exhibit at the annual meeting of RSNA 2017: Also identified for publication in the journal Radiographics: “Ultrasound Imaging of the Pediatric Neck Masses: What Radiologists Need to Know"
  • Educational Exhibit Award at the annual meeting of Radiological Society of North America: Identified for publication in the journal Radiographics: Primary skull lesions in children: What the radiologist should know, 2015
  • The Norman Glazer, MD Award for Excellence in Teaching in Diagnostic Radiology Teacher of the year award. Presented by the Diagnostic Radiology Residents of Cleveland Clinic Foundation for exceptional commitment to resident education, in June 2014
  • Educational Exhibit Award at the annual meeting of Radiological Society of North America: Solicited for publication in the journal Radiographics: Emergency Room CT in Children with Seizure: Subtle CT Findings, 2014
  • Pediatric Neurology Merit Award: Awarded by the section of Cleveland Clinic Pediatric neurology for outstanding contribution in education and diagnosis of neurological disorders in children, 2014
  • RSNA Certificate of Merit for the Educational Poster “Epilepsy Surgery in Children: What the Radiologist Should Know. Stock S, Karakas SP, Bingaman W, Reid J, and Udayasankar U., 2011
  • Clinician Educator Development Program (CEDP) award and $1000 grant from American Roentgen Ray. 2011
  • Annual Caffey Certificate of Merit for Scientific Exhibit from Society of Pediatric Radiology for “Spectral Adiabatic Inversion Recovery (SPAIR) MRI in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease” 2010
  • Executive Council Award in the American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Residents in Radiology Awards for paper titled “Impact of Fat-Suppressed Single Shot Fast Spin Echo T2 Weighted MR Imaging for the Assessment of Crohn’s Disease activity” 2007
  • Award for Educational Exhibit at RSNA: Solicited for publication in Radiographics: Post-Operative Imaging, 2007
  • Executive Council Award in the ARRS annual Residents in Radiology Awards for paper titled Automatic Patient Centering for MDCT: Effect on Radiation Dose; 2006
  • Certificate of Merit for Educational Exhibit presentation at RSNA 2006: CT Perfusion in Oncology, When, Why and How? 2006
  • Award for Educational Exhibit at RSNA 2006: Solicited for publication in Radiographics: Low kV techniques in MDCT imaging, 2006
Residency
  • VSS Medical College, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India
Fellowship
  • Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Pediatric Radiology, 2009-2010
  • Emory University School of Medicine, Neuroradiology, 2008-2009
  • Emory University School of Medicine, Abdominal Imaging, 2007-2008
Board Certifications
  • American Board of Radiology Certification in General Radiology, 2010
  • American Board of Radiology, Subspecialty Certification in Neuroradiology, 2012
  • American Board of Radiology, Subspecialty Certification in Pediatric Radiology, 2013

Select Publications

2022

Manjila, S., M. Fana, K. Medani, M. D. Kay, R. Manjila, T. G. Bazil, and U. Udayasankar, "Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis Causing Lumbar Canal Stenosis: A Pictorial Essay on Radiological Grading and the Role of Bariatric Surgery Versus Laminectomy.", Cureus, vol. 14, issue 7, pp. e26492, 2022 Jul. PMCID: PMC9339211 
Rogers, S. N., U. Udayasankar, S. Pruthi, H. A. Lai, N. Kadom, J. Guerin, M. Malinzak, B. L. Shulkin, T. Y. Poussaint, Z. Patay, et al., "Imaging of pediatric spine and spinal cord tumors: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee/ASPNR White Paper.", Pediatr Blood Cancer, pp. e30150, 2022 Dec 23.
Desoky, S. M., M. George, M. Epelman, D. P. Frush, D. M. Gourlay, M. M. Moore, G. R. Schooler, A. J. Towbin, U. Udayasankar, M. Zukowski, et al., "Imaging of Right Lower Quadrant Pain in Children and Adolescents: Expert Panel Narrative Review.", AJR Am J Roentgenol, 2022 Nov 23.
Radhakrishnan, R., L. A. G. Shea, S. Pruthi, V. M. Silvera, T. Bosemani, N. K. Desai, D. L. Gilbert, O. A. Glenn, C. V. Guimaraes, M-L. Ho, et al., "ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Ataxia-Child.", J Am Coll Radiol, vol. 19, issue 11S, pp. S240-S255, 2022 Nov.
Memmott, T., J. Hass Alfonso, U. Udayasankar, and H. Pariury, "Combination therapy for unresectable primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy: A story of cure.", Pediatr Blood Cancer, vol. 69, issue 7, pp. e29523, 2022 Jul.

2021

Sawyer, D. M., R. Mushtaq, S. Vedantham, F. Shareef, S. M. Desoky, H. Arif-Tiwari, D. L. Gilbertson-Dahdal, and U. K. Udayasankar, "Performance of overnight on-call radiology residents in interpreting unenhanced abdominopelvic magnetic resonance imaging studies performed for pediatric right lower quadrant abdominal pain.", Pediatr Radiol, 2021 Mar 10.

2020

Udayasankar, U., and S. Desoky, "Non-Contrast MRI for Abdominal Pain in the Pediatric Emergency Department—Point: Safe and Comprehensive Assessment While Reducing Delay in Care ", American Journal of Roentgenology, vol. 10.2214/AJR.20.24392, 2020.
Warner, J., S. Desoky, H. Arif Tiwari, F. Morello, D. Gilbertson, and U. Udayasankar, "Unenhanced MRI of the Abdomen and Pelvis in the Comprehensive Evaluation of Acute Atraumatic Abdominal Pain in Children.", AJR Am J Roentgenol, pp. 1-11, 2020 Sep 09.
Sawyer, D., R. Mushtaq, S. Vedantham, and U. Udayasankar, Performance of overnight on-call radiology residents in interpreting unenhanced adbominopelvic MRI studies performed for pediatric right lower quadrant pain, 2020.

2019

Rogers, S., and U. Udayasankar, "Uncommon Lytic Lesions of the Skull in Children: Imaging findings", Annual Meeting for the Western Neuroradiological Society, 01/2019.
Mushtaq, R., S. M. Desoky, F. Morello, D. Gilbertson-Dahdal, G. Gopalakrishnan, A. Leetch, S. Vedantham, B. Kalb, D. R. Martin, and U. K. Udayasankar, "First-Line Diagnostic Evaluation with MRI of Children Suspected of Having Acute Appendicitis.", Radiology, vol. 291, issue 1, pp. 170-177, 2019 04.
Mushtaq, R., S. Desoky, F. Morello, D. Gilbertson-Dahdal, S. Vedantham, B. Kalb, D. Martin, and U. Udayasankar, First-Line Diagnostic Evaluation of Children with Suspected Acute Appendicitis using MRI, 2019.

2018

Warhadpande, D., S. Desoky, E. Park, and U. Udayasankar, "Imaging of Knee Swelling in Children", Contemporary Diagnostic Radiology, vol. 41, issue 1, 01/2018.
Desoky, S., RI. Kylat, U. Udayasankar, and D. Gilbertson-Dahdal, Managing Neonatal Intestinal Obstruction: Clinical Perspectives, 2018.
Warhadpande, D., S. Desoky, E. Park, and U. Udayasankar, Imaging of Knee Swelling in Children, 2018.
Hershman, M., R. Carmody, and U. K. Udayasankar, "Case 252: Acute Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy Resulting from Late-Onset Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency.", Radiology, vol. 287, issue 1, pp. 353-359, 2018 04.

2017

Udayasankar, U., "Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine, 5(th) edition.", J Magn Reson Imaging, 2017 Jun 22.

2016

Petkovska, I., E. Duke, D. R. Martin, Z. Irani, C. P. Geffre, J. M. Cragun, J. R. Costello, H. Arif-Tiwari, F. Czeyda-Pommersheim, U. Udayasankar, et al., "MRI of ovarian torsion: Correlation of imaging features with the presence of perifollicular hemorrhage and ovarian viability.", Eur J Radiol, vol. 85, issue 11, pp. 2064-2071, 2016 Nov.

2015

Obusez, E. C., and U. Udayasankar, "Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease with Caroli syndrome.", J Urol, vol. 193, issue 2, pp. 679-80, 2015 Feb.

2008

Jayashankar, A., U. Udayasankar, S. Sebastian, E. K. Lee, M. Kalra, and W. Small, "MDCT of thoraco-abdominal trauma: an evaluation of the success and limitations of primary interpretation using multiplanar reformatted images vs axial images.", Emerg Radiol, vol. 15, issue 1, pp. 29-34, 2008 Jan.