Dr Ujwal Kariholu

Dr Ujwal Kariholu is a Consultant Neonatologist and expert witness at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, where he has served as a Consultant Neonatologist since 2016. His principal areas of clinical expertise include neonatal intensive care, neonatal neurology, birth-related brain injury, premature infant care, neonatal resuscitation and the diagnosis and management of complex medical conditions affecting newborn infants and young children.

His current clinical practice is centred on the care of critically ill and vulnerable newborns, including premature babies and infants requiring intensive care, advanced respiratory support and ongoing developmental surveillance. He has extensive experience assessing, diagnosing and managing a wide range of neonatal conditions, including neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, renal, metabolic, endocrine and genetic disorders. He also provides specialist care for infants with feeding difficulties, growth concerns, congenital anomalies and complications arising from high-risk pregnancies, while undertaking comprehensive newborn examinations and supporting families through complex neonatal care.

Alongside his clinical work, Dr Kariholu is Site Lead Neonatologist at St Mary's and Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospitals and contributes to neonatal education both nationally and internationally. His roles as a Principal Investigator and Co-investigator in neonatal research, together with his work as a General Medical Council PLAB Associate (Examiner), further demonstrate his recognised expertise and standing within the field of neonatology. 

Dr Ujwal Kariholu has undertaken medico-legal work since 2018, providing independent expert opinion in clinical negligence claims relating to neonatal and early childhood care. His practice includes the preparation of screening, breach of duty and causation reports, with particular expertise in complex cases involving neonatal intensive care, birth-related injuries and the management of critically ill newborn infants.

He is frequently instructed in matters concerning neonatal brain injury, prematurity, neonatal resuscitation, congenital abnormalities, respiratory and neurological conditions, and complications arising during pregnancy and the immediate postnatal period. Dr Kariholu has experience attending court, further supporting his ability to provide robust and well-reasoned expert evidence. Drawing on his extensive clinical expertise in neonatology, he delivers clear, balanced and evidence-based opinions that assist solicitors in evaluating complex issues relating to neonatal standards of care and causation. 

Dr Kariholu's clinical practice is focused on the assessment and management of critically ill newborn infants, particularly those requiring specialist neonatal intensive care. He spends the majority of his clinical time caring for premature babies and infants with complex medical needs, including neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, renal, metabolic and endocrine disorders. His expertise extends to the investigation and treatment of neonatal brain injury, congenital anomalies, birth-related complications and conditions associated with high-risk pregnancies, with a strong emphasis on delivering evidence-based care during the earliest stages of life.

He has particular expertise in neonatal resuscitation, intensive care management and the ongoing assessment of infant growth and development. His day-to-day practice includes performing comprehensive newborn examinations, managing feeding and nutritional difficulties, supporting infants with gastro-oesophageal reflux and other gastrointestinal conditions, and diagnosing a wide range of developmental and medical concerns during infancy. He also provides specialist advice on immunisation, safeguarding and the care of vulnerable newborns requiring multidisciplinary input.

A particular area of specialist interest is the management of neonatal neurological injury, including hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy and other complex conditions requiring advanced neonatal intensive care. His broad clinical practice enables him to provide comprehensive care for newborn infants with both routine and highly complex medical needs. 

Dr Kariholu is an active researcher and educator in neonatology, serving as Principal Investigator and Co-investigator on major neonatal clinical trials and contributing extensively to peer-reviewed publications in neonatal brain injury, therapeutic hypothermia and intensive care. He is a General Medical Council PLAB Associate (Examiner), a Newborn Life Support Medical Director and Instructor, and is actively involved in teaching and training healthcare professionals nationally and internationally.