Dr. Dinesh Pillai is a board-certified pediatric pulmonologist at Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV), specializing in severe asthma, aerodigestive diseases, complicated pneumonia, and rare lung conditions. He leads clinical efforts in Fairfax, drawing on his extensive training, including a fellowship at Children’s National Health System. A native of Chicago, Dr. Pillai chose pediatric pulmonary medicine for its intricate lung physiology and the opportunity to build lasting relationships with patients.
Dr. Pillai has practiced in the Washington, DC area since 2009, where he developed specialized programs like the Severe Asthma Program and Aerodigestive Program at Children’s National. A recognized leader in his field, he has earned awards such as the NIH K12 Lung and Genomics Career Development Award and the Junior Physician Investigator Award from the American Federation of Medical Research, and has been named a Top Doctor by Northern Virginia Magazine and Washingtonian.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Pillai enjoys traveling with his family, following Chicago sports, and exploring the cultural diversity of the region. Passionate about education and advocacy, he has volunteered at health fairs promoting asthma care and hopes to expand his community engagement efforts.
Publications:
&Schroeder JC, Sharron MP, Wai K, Pillai DK, Rastogi D. Asthma as a comorbidity in COVID-19 pediatric ICU admissions in a large metropolitan children’s hospital. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2023 Jan;58(1):206-212. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26184. Epub 2022 Nov 2. PubMed PMID: 36254734; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9874824.
Dooley AA, Jackson JH, Gatti ML, Fanous H, Martinez C, Prue DC, Phull G, Richmond M, Weinstein NA, Chorvinsky E, Shukla PJ, Pillai DK. Pediatric sleep questionnaire predicts more severe sleep apnea in children with uncontrolled asthma. J Asthma. 2021 Dec;58(12):1589-1596. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2020.1818775. Epub 2020 Sep 14. PubMed PMID: 32878527; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7956147.
Martin CN, Barnawi Z, Chorvinsky E, Pillai D, Gatti M, Collins ME, Krakovsky GM, Bauman NM, Sehgal S, Pillai DK. Positive bronchoalveolar lavage pepsin assay associated with viral and fungal respiratory infections in children with chronic cough. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2021 Aug;56(8):2686-2694. doi: 10.1002/ppul.25450. Epub 2021 May 13. PubMed PMID: 33930245; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8327477.
Dooley AA, Pillai DK. Paediatric obesity-related asthma: Disease burden and effects on pulmonary physiology. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2021 Mar;37:15-17. doi: 10.1016/j.prrv.2020.04.002. Epub 2020 Apr 9. Review. PubMed PMID: 32414555.
Naime S, Batra SK, Fiorillo C, Collins ME, Gatti M, Krakovsky GM, Sehgal S, Bauman NM, Pillai DK. Aerodigestive Approach to Chronic Cough in Children. Curr Treat Options Pediatr. 2018 Dec;4(4):467-479. doi: 10.1007/s40746-018-0145-9. Epub 2018 Nov 16. PubMed PMID: 30859056; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6407695.
Pillai DK, Sankoorikal BJ, Johnson E, Seneviratne AN, Zurko J, Brown KJ, Hathout Y, Rose MC. Directional secretomes reflect polarity-specific functions in an in vitro model of human bronchial epithelium. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2014 Feb;50(2):292-300. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2013-0188OC. PubMed PMID: 24010916; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3930950.;
Board Certifications:
- American Board of Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics - Pulmonology
Education:
Fellowship: Children’s National Health System (2009)
Residency: The Infants and Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn (2004)
Medical School: St. George’s University (2003)
Undergraduate: Washington University (1998)
- NIH K12 Lung and Genomics Career Development Award
- Junior Physician Investigator Award, American Federation of Medical Research
- Top Doctors Recognition: Northern Virginia Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine
