A photo of Sudhakar Vadivelu.

Sudhakar Vadivelu, DO


  • Faculty Neurosurgeon, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Director, Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke Center
  • Associate Professor, UC Department of Neurosurgery
I’m the director of the Pediatric Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke Center at Cincinnati Children’s. We have a strong history in multidisciplinary pediatric care at every visit.
Sudhakar Vadivelu, DO

About

Biography

As a pediatric neurosurgeon, I’m trained to deliver both open and endovascular (minimally invasive) approaches for curing vascular disorders of the brain and spinal cord in children. I am also trained in interventional radiology. I was inspired to pursue my career by the shortage of information and the controversy in caring for children with vascular disorders and stroke of the brain and spinal cord.

I’m the director of the Pediatric Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke Center at Cincinnati Children’s. We have a strong history in multidisciplinary pediatric care at every visit. I also serve as a physician scientist attempting to create an innovative patient-specific treatment in the basic science research lab and translate these cutting-edge discoveries in a safe, effective manner for childhood care solutions.

I was chosen as one of Cincinnati Business Courier’s top Forty Under 40 in surgical innovation.

My research focuses on overcoming identifiable genes responsible for abnormal brain vessel development and increased stroke risk. We also want to harness white-matter plasticity and neural stem cell regeneration.

In my free time, I enjoy jazz drumming.

DO: Des Moines University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, IA.

Residency: Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Neurosurgery, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Manhasset, NY.

Fellowship: Interventional Neuroradiology, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Manhasset, NY; Cerebrovascular Surgery, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Manhasset, NY; Pediatric Neurosurgery, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

Interests

Disorders of the brain and spine; brain and spine tumors; spinal deformity; chiari malformation; hydrocephalus; movement disorders; endovascular/ interventional neuroradiology; neuroendoscopy; neurostimulation

Interests

Stem cells; neurogenesis; modulation of cytokine activity

 

Research Areas

Insurance Information

Cincinnati Children's strives to accept a wide variety of health plans. Please contact your health insurance carrier to verify coverage for your specific benefit plan.

View Insurance Information

Publications

44: Capillary Malformation-Arteriovenous Malformation Syndrome: Proposed Consensus Guidelines. Richmond, A; Hansen, S; Dykman, M; Adams, DM; Antaya, RJ; Bennett, JT; Frieden, IJ; Hammill, AM; Liang, MG; Maheshwari, M; Chamlin, S; Cotton, C; Lalor, L; Lee, LW. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2025; 145:e12.

Imaging of Hemorrhagic Stroke in Children. Leach, JL; Derinkuyu, BE; Taylor, JM; Vadivelu, S. Neuroimaging Clinics of North America. 2024; 34:615-636.

Indications for cerebral revascularization for moyamoya syndrome in pediatric sickle cell disease determined by Delphi methodology. Robert, AP; Hanel, RA; Adelson, PD; Lang, SS; Grabb, P; Greene, S; Johnston, JM; Leonard, J; Magge, SN; Marupudi, NI; Pederson, JM; Dain, AS; Beslow, LA; Aldana, PR. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. 2024; 34:402-413.

Post Deep Brain Stimulation Time Course of Aperiodic Activity in Childhood and Young Adult Dystonia. Larsh, TR; Gilbert, DL; Vadivelu, S; Binder, DK; Pedapati, EV; Wu, SW. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice. 2024; 11:1305-1307.

Modeling blood-brain barrier formation and cerebral cavernous malformations in human PSC-derived organoids. Dao, L; You, Z; Lu, L; Xu, T; Sarkar, AK; Zhu, H; Liu, M; Calandrelli, R; Yoshida, G; Lin, P; Vadivelu, S; Zhong, S; Huang, LF; Guo, Z. Cell Stem Cell. 2024; 31:818-833.e11.

Pediatric Moyamoya Revascularization Perioperative Care: A Modified Delphi Study. Sun, LR; Jordan, LC; Smith, ER; Aldana, PR; Kirschen, MP; Guilliams, K; Gupta, N; Steinberg, GK; Fox, C; Harrar, DB; McClugage, S; Vadivelu, S; Dowling, MM; Hersh, DS. Neurocritical Care. 2024; 40:587-602.

Can diffuse reflectance spectroscopy identify shuntodynia in pediatric hydrocephalus patients?. Kline, O; Vishwanath, K; Colbrunn, B; Peachman, A; Zhang, J; Vadivelu, S. Journal of Biomedical Optics. 2024; 29:037002.

Abstract WP224: Association of Quality-of-Life Domains and Clinical Symptoms in Pediatric Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Patients. Chawla, S; Ortiz Ambrosio, M; Huynh, N; Nelson, J; McCulloch, C; Vassar, R; Smith, E; Vadivelu, S; Akers, A; Lee, C; Zabramski, JM; Torbey, MT; Morrison, L; Awad, IA; Kim, H. Stroke. 2024; 55:awp224.

Prevalence and Predictors of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia and Capillary-Malformation Arteriovenous Malformation Syndrome Among Children with Neurovascular Malformations. Engel, ER; Wusik, K; Bright, P; Vadivelu, S; Taylor, JM; Hammill, A. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2024; 264:113761.

Cerebral revascularization surgery reduces cerebrovascular events in children with sickle cell disease and moyamoya syndrome: Results of the stroke in sickle cell revascularization surgery retrospective study. Aldana, PR; Hanel, RA; Piatt, J; Han, SH; Bansal, MM; Schultz, C; Gauger, C; Pederson, JM; Iii, JC W; Hulbert, ML; Strahle, J; Vadivelu, S; Webb, J; Wrubel, D. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2023; 70:e30336.

From the Blog

The Joy of Witnessing Science Transform a Life
Rare Diseases

The Joy of Witnessing Science Transform a Life

Sudhakar Vadivelu, DO, Donald L. Gilbert, MD, MS11/15/2024

Patient Ratings and Comments

All patient satisfaction ratings and comments are submitted by actual patients and verified by a leading independent experience management company, Qualtrics. Patient identities are withheld to ensure confidentiality and privacy. Only those providers whose satisfaction surveys are administered through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center are displayed. Click here to learn more about our survey

Loading ...
Loading ...