Suma Prabhu Shankar, M.D., Ph.D. for UC Davis Health

Suma Prabhu Shankar, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief, Genomic Medicine Division, Department of Pediatrics

Director of Precision Genomics

Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology

To see if Suma Prabhu Shankar is accepting new patients, or for assistance finding a UC Davis doctor, please call 800-2-UCDAVIS (800-282-3284).

Reviews

Specialties

Genomic Medicine

Genetics

Genomics

Locations and Contact

UC Davis MIND Institute

UC Davis MIND Institute
2825 50th St.
Sacramento, CA 95817

Get Directions

Additional Numbers

Clinic Phone

916-703-0300

Physician Referrals

800-4-UCDAVIS (800-482-8432)

Philosophy of Care

I believe that every individual is unique and should receive "personalized health care" tailored to meet each individual's specific needs. Our team is passionate about providing state-of-the-art medical care with compassion and understanding. Genetic conditions are often life long and may impact immediate and extended family members - we believe in taking the time to listen to families, address their concerns, explain the genetic testing process, and help them in the decision making process to obtain the best available care for themselves, their child and their family.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Shankar is a pediatric and adult geneticist offering care for a wide range of rare and ultra rare genetic disorders. She is the director of Precision Genomics Program that serves individuals going through "Diagnostic Odyssey" using state-of-the-art Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). Her special interests and expertise include ophthalmic genetic disorders, non verbal neurodevelopmental disorders/autism spectrum disorders and RASopathies. 

Research/Academic Interests

Dr. Shankar's research focuses on deep phenotyping, whole genome sequencing and other functional studies in individuals with non-verbal neurodevelopmental delays and those going through "Diagnostic Odysseys"  to determine their underlying genetic etiology including new gene discovery.

Division

Genomic Medicine
Pediatric Ophthalmology

Center/Program Affiliation

UC Davis MIND Institute
UC Davis Children's Hospital

Undergraduate School

M.B.B.S., Bangalore Medical Collete, Bangalore, India 1989

Medical School

M.D., Bangalore Medical College, Bangalore India 1990

Other School

Ph.D., Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA 2005

Residency

Ophthalmology, Royal College of Ophthalmologists Affiliated Hospitals, Great Yarmouth, Northampton, England 1992-1995

Residency

Intensive and Coronary Care, St. John's Hospital, Bangalore, India 1990-1991

Residency

Medical Genetics, UC San Francisco, San Francisco CA 2007-2009

Fellowship

Pediatric Ophthalmology, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA 2006-2007

Henry Christian Award and Certificate of Excellence in Research, American Federation for Medical Research, Chicago, IL, 2009

Western Scholar, Western Society for Pediatric Research, Carmel, CA, 2009

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 2006

Sacramento Top Doctors, 2019, 2022, 2021, 2022

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=shankar%2C+suma+%5Bau%5D&sort=date

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=u6FQarEAAAAJ&hl=en

Shankar SP, Grimsrud K, Lanoue L, Egense A, Willis B, Hörberg J, AlAbdi L, Mayer K, Ütkür K, Monaghan KG, Krier J, Stoler J, Alnemer M, Shankar PR, Schaffrath R, Alkuraya FS, Brinkmann U, Eriksson LA, Lloyd K, Rauen KA; Undiagnosed Diseases Network. A novel DPH5-related diphthamide-deficiency syndrome causing embryonic lethality or profound neurodevelopmental disorder. Genet Med. 2022 Apr 27:S1098-3600(22)00704-3. PMID: 35482014.

Germain DP, Hughes DA, Nicholls K, Bichet DG, Giugliani R, Wilcox WR, Feliciani C, Shankar SP, Ezgu F, Amartino H, Bratkovic D, Feldt-Rasmussen U, Nedd K, Sharaf El Din U, Lourenco CM, Banikazemi M, Charrow J, Dasouki M, Finegold D, Giraldo P, Goker-Alpan O, Longo N, Scott CR, Torra R, Tuffaha A, Jovanovic A,Waldek S, Packman S, Ludington E, Viereck C, Kirk J, Yu J, Benjamin ER, Johnson F, Lockhart DJ, Skuban N, Castelli J, Barth J, Barlow C, Schiffmann R. Treatment of Fabry's Disease with the Pharmacologic Chaperone Migalastat. N Engl J Med. 2016 Aug 11;375(6):545-55. PMID:27509102.

Mistry PK, Lukina E, Ben Turkia H, Amato D, Baris H, Dasouki M, Ghosn M, Mehta A, Packman S, Pastores G, Petakov M, Assouline S, Balwani M, Danda S, Hadjiev E, Ortega A, Shankar S, Solano MH, Ross L, Angell J, Peterschmitt MJ. Effect of oral eliglustat on splenomegaly in patients with Gaucher disease type 1: the ENGAGE randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2015 Feb 17;313(7):695-706. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.459. PMID:25688781.

Ma VK, Mao R, Toth JN, Fulmer ML, Egense AS, Shankar SP. Prader-Willi and Angelman Syndromes: Mechanisms and Management. Appl Clin Genet. 2023 Apr 6;16:41-52. doi: 10.2147/TACG.S372708. eCollection 2023. PMID: 37051256

Kontaridis MI, Roberts AE, Schill L, Schoyer L, Stronach B, Andelfinger G, Aoki Y, Axelrad ME, Bakker A, Bennett AM, Broniscer A, Castel P, Chang CA, Cyganek L, Das TK, den Hertog J, Galperin E, Garg S, Gelb BD, Gordon K, Green T, Gripp KW, Itkin M, Kiuru M, Korf BR, Livingstone JR, López-Juárez A, Magoulas PL, Mansour S, Milner T, Parker E, Pierpont EI, Plouffe K, Rauen KA, Shankar SP, Smith SB, Stevenson DA, Tartaglia M, Van R, Wagner ME, Ware SM, Zenker M. The seventh international RASopathies symposium: Pathways to a cure-expanding knowledge, enhancing research, and therapeutic discovery. Am J Med Genet A. 2022 Jun;188(6):1915-1927. PMID: 35266292; PMCID: PMC9117434.

Shankar SP, Fallurin R, Watson T, Shankar PR, Young TL, Orel-Bixler D, Rauen KA. Ophthalmic manifestations in Costello syndrome caused by Ras pathway dysregulation during development. Ophthalmic Genet. 2021 Oct 6:1-10. doi: 10.1080/13816810.2021.1978103. PMID: 34612139

Shankar SP, Birch DG, Ruiz RS, Hughbanks-Wheaton DK, Sullivan LS, Bowne SJ, Stone EM, Daiger SP. Founder Effect of a c.828+3A>T Splice Site Mutation in Peripherin 2 (PRPH2) Causing Autosomal Dominant Retinal Dystrophies. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2015 May;133(5):511-7. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2014.6115. PMID:25675413.

Dimmock D, Caylor S, Waldman B, Benson W, Ashburner C, Carmichael JL, Carroll J, Cham E, Chowdhury S, Cleary J, D'Harlingue A, Doshi A, Ellsworth K, Galarreta CI, Hobbs C, Houtchens K, Hunt J, Joe P, Joseph M, Kaplan R, Kingsmore S, Knight J, Kochhar A, Kronick R, Limon J, Martin M, Rauen KA, Schwarz A, Shankar SP, Spicer R, Rojas MA, Vargas-Shiraishi O, Wigby K, Zadeh N, Farnaes L. Project Baby Bear: Rapid Precision Care Incorporating rWGS in 5 California Children’s Hospitals Demonstrates Improved Clinical Outcomes and Reduced Costs of Care. Am J Hum Genet. 2021 May 29:S0002-9297(21)00192-0. PMID: 34089648

Gripp KW, Morse LA, Axelrad M, Chatfield K, Chidekel A, Dobyns W, Doyle D, Kerr B, Lin AE, Schwartz D, Sibbles B, Siegel D, Shankar SP, Stevenson D, Thacker M, Weaver NK, White S, Rauen KA. Costello Syndrome: Clinical Phenotype, Genotype, and Management Guidelines. American Journal of Medical Genetics: Part A, 2019 Sep;179(9):1725-1744. PubMed PMID: 31222966.

Shankar SP, Hughbanks-Wheaton DK, Birch DG, Sullivan LS, Conneely KN, Bowne SJ, Stone EM, Daiger SP. Autosomal Dominant Retinal Dystrophies Caused by a Founder Splice Site Mutation, c.828+3A>T, in PRPH2 and Protein Haplotypes in trans as Modifiers. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016 Feb;57(2):349-59. doi:10.1167/iovs.15-16965. PMID:26842753.

Pierpont ME, Magoulas PL, Adi S, Kavamura MI, Neri G, Noonan J, Pierpont EI, Reinker K, Roberts AE, Shankar S, Sullivan J, Wolford M, Conger B, Santa Cruz M, Rauen KA. Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome: clinical features, diagnosis, and management guidelines. Pediatrics. 2014 Oct;134(4):e1149-62. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-3189. Epub 2014 Sep 1. PMID 25180280.

Tang VD, Egense A, Yiu G, Meyers E, Moshiri A, Shankar SP. Retinal dystrophies: A look beyond the eyes. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2022 Jun 11;27:101613. doi: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2022.101613. eCollection 2022 Sep. PMID: 35756836