Sanniya Nanda, MD

Dr. Sanniya Nanda is a pediatrician and is currently accepting patients in our Hope Mills location.

It is said that the experiences we have as a child lead toward specific career and lifestyle choices. Dr. Sanniya Nanda grew up in Mumbai, India. Her father’s job in the insecticide industry required many moves across India. Experiencing the attributes and drawbacks that come from living in densely populated cities and small towns helped shape Dr. Nanda into the medical provider she is today. 

As a child, Dr. Nanda was intrigued by a mother’s willingness to give up her body to grow a child. This interest initially led her towards obstetrics. However, recognizing the significant disparity in India between the high rate of children born and the low rate of pediatricians available to care for them properly, Dr. Nanda decided to become a pediatrician. 

Dr. Nanda attended Government Medical College in Jammu, India. Following medical school, she went on to complete two years of pediatric residency. Every year, India experiences outbreaks of dengue fever, caused by mosquitos. During her residency, Jammu faced a dengue fever outbreak of epidemic proportions. 

Working as a physician during an epidemic taught her that disease doesn’t see color or economic background. And when a disease affects a child, the parents are often struck by extreme anxiety. Dr. Nanda knew she wanted to be a resource for parents, helping alleviate some of that anxiety with knowledge and compassion. She also wanted to be a part of the solution that transforms healthcare. 

With a desire to further her education through research into the US healthcare system, Dr. Nanda relocated to North Carolina, where she took part in a Duke and UNC research scholarship. During this time, she focused her research on the management of febrile seizures in emergency medicine. Once again recognizing the impact that illness had on parents, she committed herself to help parents overcome their fears to care for their child proactively. During this time, Dr. Nanda also was part of an international research project in pulmonary medicine. After completing her research projects, Dr. Nanda relocated to Brooklyn, NY, to complete a three-year residency in pediatrics at Woodhull Hospital. 

Dr. Nanda has a special interest in nutrition and believes that the type and quantity of food need to be better understood to reduce obesity. 

Married and with a toddler son, Dr. Nanda keeps busy. Having spent much of her life thus far educating herself, Dr. Nanda is looking forward to spending more time with her family. She looks forward to trips to the beach and baking for her son, who loves chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cupcakes. A lover of learning, Dr. Nanda intends to take karate and swimming lessons alongside her son. She is also considering what instrument she will take on. Perhaps the piano? Dr. Nanda will let her son choose for both of them. 

Many adults suffer from chronic problems because something was missed when they were a child. I feel this is where the pediatrician plays a vital role in establishing a path for a person’s long term health. – Sanniya Nanda, MD