WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT
D R. P RI YA K I SH N A N I C.L. AND SU CHEN PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS; MEDICAL DIRECTOR, YT AND ALICE CHEN PEDIATRICS GENETICS AND GENOMICS CENTER; CHIEF OF MEDICAL GENETICS & PROFESSOR OF MOLECULAR GENETICS AND MICROBIOLOGY, DUKE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
D
r. Priya Kishnani grew up in a family of physicians, including her
mother, a pediatrician, in Mumbai (then Bombay), India. “My mother ran a charitable program, caring for the underserved and indigent throughout her life,” Dr. Kishnani says. “I saw firsthand what it really meant to be a physician: to give hope to your neighbors, and make an impact on the rest of their lives. From then on, I knew this was what I wanted to do.” Dr. Kishnani began her formal medical education in India before embarking on an observation term at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It was there I became fascinated with genetics, and by the time I moved to Duke University to do my third-year pediatric residency, I knew that would be the concentration for my career.” Her research also led to a somewhat unconventional career path. “It is not often advised that you stay at the hospital where you trained, but for me, Durham is home,” she says. “I’ve been given every opportunity to progress at Duke, as well as opportunities to see and treat patients from all over the state, country and even internationally. Duke completely embraced me and my work.” That support has been critical during her 30-year career as a pediatric medical genetics specialist. Dr. Kishnani sees many patients through their most difficult years. “Every patient is special and has taught me something,” she says. “One young man from South Africa told me about the gratitude he has for life. He knows without his treatments he wouldn’t be here, so why miss out on any moment to learn and enjoy?” she says. She’s amazed not only by the patients who live long lives, but also by those who’ve lost their battles, who are willing to do whatever it takes to help the next family. “Many know they will eventually succumb to their disease and want to do complete organ donation so they can help advance research,” she says. “It is so selfless that those living with these conditions still want to give.” That’s what fuels Dr. Kishnani’s passion for her research. “We recently saw a sibling pair with an extreme case of Pompe, a glycogen storage disease,” she says. “We were able to initiate treatment right away with immune modulation, and today, the children look terrific. I didn’t think in my lifetime we would be able to accomplish developing an enzyme treatment for this rare genetic disease. Children are our future. Now we are able to give more of them the gift of an opportunity for a full life.” Her biggest inspirations are her own children: son Kunal and daughter Sujata. Both are carrying on the family tradition of helping others. Kunal works for a firm developing innovative treatments for cancer, and Sujata plans to attend medical school. “As a mom, you always wonder if you’ve given your children enough of your time or the right advice,” she says. “I’ve learned so much from my patients that I think makes me a better mother, and my children in turn make me a better physician.” – by Morgan Cartier Weston 64
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M ay 2 0 2 1 PHOTO BY SHAWN ROCCO/DUKE HEALTH
