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Kanwal K. Nischal, MD, FAACP FRCOphth

  • Professor of Ophthalmology and Chief, Division of Pediatric Opthalmology, Strabismus and Adult Motility
  • Director, Pediatric Program Development, UPMC Eye Center
  • Medical Director of Telemedicine Services, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Administrative Assistant: Lori J. Johnston

Dr. Nischal is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Opthalmology and Strabismus at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Director of Pediatric Program Development at the UPMC Eye Center, and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Nischal attended King’s College Hospital Medical School of the University of London and completed ophthalmology residencies at both Birmingham and Midlands and the Oxford Eye Hospital in the United Kingdom. He completed his pediatric ophthalmology fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Prior to joining Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 2011, Ken was at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, UK. 

Dr. Nischal is one of the pioneers of pediatric corneal transplants. Children from all over the world come to see Dr. Nischal because of his expertise in helping children with genetic corneal diseases. His research focus is on evidence-based protocol led clinical care with clinical outcome measures to drive clinical care. His main areas of clinical research are anterior segment developmental anomalies affecting the cornea, lens and trabecular meshwork. He has published widely on the topics of pediatric cataract, glaucoma and cornea as well as craniofacial anomalies.

He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Pediatric Glaucoma and Cataract Family Association (PGCFA) and has contributed articles and responses to our Ask the Doctor feature. He is the founder and co-director of the World Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, an outstanding organization with members from around the globe.

Professional and Scientific Society Memberships

  • EPOS (European Pediatric Ophthalmology Society), 2011 - Present 
  • POS (Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society), 2012 - Present 
  • ASCRS (American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery), 2014 - 2015 
  • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 2014- Present 
  • ASHG (American Society of Human Genetics), 2015 - Present 
  • American Ophthalmological Society, 2017 - Present (Admitted 2017 – Thesis Title: OCT Detection of Palisades of Vogt in Congenital Corneal opacification)
  • American Orthoptic Board Representative of American Ophthalmological Society, 2018 - Present
  • Accreditation Committee of American Orthoptic Council, 2018 – Present 
  • Program Committee of American Orthoptic Council, 2018 – Present 
  • Co-Organizer AACO/AAO Symposium at AAO Meeting, 2019 – Present 

Education & Training

  • MB, MS, King's College Hospital Medical School, University of London, England

Selected Publications

The Oculome Panel Test: Next-Generation Sequencing to Diagnose a Diverse Range of Genetic Developmental Eye Disorders. Patel A, Hayward JD, Tailor V, Nyanhete R, Ahlfors H, Gabriel C, Jannini TB, Abbou-Rayyah Y, Henderson R, Nischal KK, Islam L, Bitner-Glindzicz M, Hurst J, Valdivia LE, Zanolli M, Moosajee M, Brookes J, Papadopoulos M, Khaw PT, Cullup T, Jenkins L, Dahlmann-Noor A, Sowden JC. Ophthalmology. 2019 Jan 14. pii: S0161-6420(18)31858-X. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.12.050.

An update of ophthalmic management in craniosynostosis. Ganesh A, Edmond J, Forbes B, Katowitz WR, Nischal KK, Miller M, Levin A.nJ AAPOS. 2019 Mar 27. pii: S1091-8531(17)30532-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2018.10.016.

RASopathy in Patients with Isolated Sagittal Synosis. Amani Ali Davis, BA1 , Giulio Zuccoli, MD1, Mostafa M. Haredy, MD1, Joseph Losee, MD1, Ian F. Pollack, MD1, Suneeta Madan-Khetarpal, MD1, Jesse A. Goldstein, MD1, and Ken K. Nischal, MD1. Global Pediatric Health. Mar. 2019

Occipital Petalia and Albinism: A Study of Interhemispheric VEP Asymmetries in Albinism with No Nystagmus. Liasis A, Handley SE, Nischal KK. J Clin Med. 2019 Jun 5;8(6). pii: E802. doi: 10.3390/jcm8060802

Serial, Visually-Evoked Potentials for the Assessment of Visual Function in Patients with Craniosynostosis. Haredy MM, Liasis A, Davis A, Koesarie K, Fu V, Losee JE, Goldstein JA, Nischal KK .J Clin Med. 2019 Sep 27;8(10). pii: E1555. doi: 10.3390/jcm8101555. PMID: 31569741

Detection of Optic Disc Drusen in Children Using Ultrasound through the Lens and Avoiding the Lens-Point of Care Ultrasound Technique of Evaluation Revisited. Rajagopal R, Mitchell E, Sylvester C, Lope LA, Nischal KK. J Clin Med. 2019 Sep 12;8(9). pii: E1449. doi: 10.3390/jcm8091449. PMID: 31547278

Serial Visual Evoked Potentials in Patients with Craniosynostosis and Invasive Intracranial Pressure Monitoring. Haredy MM, Liasis A, Fu V, Davis A, Pollack IF, Losee JE, Saied S, Nischal KK, Goldstein JA. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2019 Sep;144(3):446e-452e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000005935. PMID: 31461033

Ophthalmic Manifestations of Mycoplasma-Induced Rash and Mucositis. Shah PR, Williams AM, Pihlblad MS, Nischal KK.Cornea. 2019 Oct;38(10):1305-1308. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000001985. PMID:31246679

Haredy MM, Liasis A, Davis A, Koesarie K, Fu V, Losee JE, Goldstein JA, Nischal KK. Serial, Visually-Evoked Potentials for the Assessment of Visual Function in Patients with Craniosynostosis. J Clin Med. 2019 Sep 27;8(10). pii: E1555. doi: 10.3390/jcm8101555. PubMed PMID: 31569741; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6832611.

Lathrop KL, Duncan K, Yu J, Shah PR, Goldstein J, Nischal KK. Development of Corneal Sensation With Remodeling of the Epithelium and the Palisades of Vogt After Corneal Neurotization. Cornea. 2020 Jan 27. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000002269. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31990849.

Scanga HL, Nischal KK. Personalized pediatric ophthalmology: a case report. J AAPOS. 2020 Jan 27. pii: S1091-8531(20)30020-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2020.01.001. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32001368.

Academic and Research Interests

Congenital Ocular Malformations

Ocular Genetics

Ocular Surgery for Rare Disorders

Research Grants

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association Project Grant

Ocular aspects of Craniofacial Disorders

National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group (NSCAG)

Ocular phenotype in Epidermolysis Bullosa

Development of Cysteamine gel for patients with cystinosis

CVS Caremark Development of Vision Enhancement Center

Development of Sustained Release Gel for Treatment of Corneal Crystals in Cystinosis

OCT Evaluation of the Palisades of Vogt

Brainport and Artifical Vision Development

Screening for Retinopathy in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Screening for Retinopathy in Children and Adolescents with T1DM

Anterior Segment OCT of Extraocular Muscles

Protein Expression in Congenital Corneal Opacification

Development of a Long Acting Application of Cysteamine for Corneal Crystals in Cystinosis

Evaluation of Non-Coding Regions for the Diagnosis of Anterior Segment Disorder in Children

Development of a Long Acting Application of Cysteamine for Corneal Crystals in Cystinosis Character of CVI