Sai Iyer, MD

affiliations

biography

Sai Iyer, MD is a board-certified Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician and Health Sciences Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics at UCLA and serves as the Ronald and Susan Cohen Term Chair in Childhood Development and Cerebral Palsy. Dr. Iyer is also the Associate Medical Director of the UCLA High-risk Infant Follow-up Program.

Dr. Iyer’s clinical interests include working with children and families in the UCLA High-Risk Infant Follow-up clinic, early detection of cerebral palsy, evaluation, treatment and care coordination for various developmental and behavioral problems, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, academic difficulties, learning disabilities and mental health concerns.

Dr. Iyer’s research involves the early identification of preschool children who are at risk for later reading problems, using novel screening tools that she has developed and validated. The overarching goal of her research is to raise awareness about the importance of reading aloud with young children, promote positive parent-child interactions around reading and develop a deeper understanding of how we can help raise successful readers.
Dr. Iyer received her medical degree from Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, India and completed pediatric residency at the Institute of Child Health & Hospital for Children, Chennai, India. She underwent further pediatric training in the United Kingdom and was elected as a Member of the Royal College of Pediatrics & Child Health. After moving to the United States, she completed her Pediatric Residency at MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio and Fellowship in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at UC San Diego.

Research Interests

• Reach out and Read (ROR)
• ROR in early infancy
• ROR in the NICU
• Early Relational Health
• Shared Reading
• Libraries and Public Resources
• School Readiness and Educational Outcomes