Dr. Priyanka Kumar

Priyanka Kumar, MD, is a pediatric ophthalmologist and attending surgeon in the Division of Ophthalmology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Kumar has a special interest in retinopathy of prematurity, strabismus in adults and children, amblyopia, anterior segment surgery, pediatric ocular trauma, and surgical and non-surgical management of pediatric cornea and ocular surface abnormalities. She was drawn to ophthalmology because of the “beauty and complexity of the eye and the importance of vision on our quality of life,” Dr. Kumar says.

Working with children is especially fulfilling, in part because of their constantly evolving and dynamic visual systems, she says. “This has its own unique challenges, but we have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the quality of life for each and every child, and in some cases, this is literally the difference between a non-seeing eye or eyes, versus a lifetime of functional vision.” Along with her work at CHOP, Dr. Kumar is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Kumar is enthusiastic about the drive within the field for constant innovation and progress, both in technology and the practice of evidence-based medicine. Gene therapeutics and innovations with laser therapies and other surgical techniques hold great promise, she says.