Dr. Hooda received his medical degree from the Aga Khan University School of Medicine in Karachi in 1991. He completed his residency training in Pediatrics at Shands Hospital in Gainesville/University of Florida in 1996. He went on to complete his fellowship in Pediatric Hematology Oncology from Brown University in 1999.

Dr. Hooda was the recipient of 1999 Brain Tumor Foundation grant for faculty level training in Pediatric Neuro-oncology at New York University Medical Center. Subsequently, Dr Hooda has served as a consultant in the New Zealand Ministry of Health in Wellington. There, he was appointed as senior lecturer at the University of Otago/Wellington School of Medicine for four years (2000-04) before he joined Aga Khan University as assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics. He moved to the Middle East in 2006 where he served as consultant pediatric hematologist oncologist for three years before he returned back to the United States.

He joined UTMB in July 2010 as clinical associate professor of pediatrics. Dr. Hooda is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric hematology oncology and is a member of American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology. He enjoys teaching and believes in high quality patient care. His research interests include leukemias, solid tumors and supportive care.

Dr. Akila Muthukumar specializes in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. She received her medical degree from Coimbatore Medical College in Coimbatore, India in 1990. She completed his residency in Pediatrics at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center at New York, in 2007. She went on to complete a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology in 2010 at Children's Hospital of Michigan, MI.

She has been at UTMB since July 2010 and currently Associate Professor with the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology division. She is an adjunct Associate Professor with MD Anderson cancer center. She is member of American Society of Hematology and Oncology since 2007. She provides comprehensive care of children with childhood malignancies, bleeding disorders, other common and rare blood disorders. She is an active participant with the UTMB medical school education and residency training.