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Samer Tohme, MD

  • John J. Fung/Astellas Pharma US, Inc. Assistant Professor of Surgery

    Education & Training

  • American University (Lebanon) – BS
  • American University (Lebanon) – MD
  • UPMC – General Surgery Residency
  • UPMC – Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship
  • Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Fellowship - UPMC
Research Summary

My research interest focuses on the paradoxical problem arising from the role of surgery as a curative approach to cancer and at the same time a potential contributor to the formation and growth of metastases.  The currently continuing research to better understand the mechanisms behind surgery induces progression of metastases will pave the way for an institutional clinical trial to inhibit perioperative NET formation in cancer patients undergoing surgery with goals to improve disease-free and overall survival in patients undergoing cancer-directed surgery.

How was the Physician Scientist Incubator valuable to you in your research and overall career goals?

The BWF program was essential to give me the scientific and professional skills needed to transition to a faculty position.  The support and resources offered by the program were essential for me to continue my research during fellowship as I start my career as a junior surgeon-scientist.

Representative Publications
  1. Kaltenmeier C, Yazdani H, Morder K, Geller DA, Simmons RL, Tohme S. Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promote T cell Exhaustion in the Tumor Microenvironment. Front Immunol. 2021 Nov 24;12:785222.
  2. Yazdani H, Kaltenmeier C, Morder K, Moon J, Lougharn P, Zamora R, Vodovotz Y, Li F, Wang J, Geller DA, Simmons RL, Tohme S. Exercise training decreases hepatic injury and metastases via changes in immune response to liver ischemia/reperfusion. Hepatology. 2020 Sep 14;10.1002/hep.31552. doi:  10.1002/hep.31552.
  3. Kaltenmeier C, Yazdani H, van der Windt D, Molinaro M, Geller DA, Tsung A, Tohme S. Neutrophil Extracellular Traps as a Novel Biomarker to predict Recurrence-free and Overall Survival in Patients with Primary Hepatic Malignancies. HPB 2021 Feb;23(2):309-320
  4. Yazdani HO, Tohme S. A Murine Model of Metastatic Liver Tumors in the Setting of Ischemia Reperfusion Injury. J Vis Exp. 2019 Aug 30;(150).
  5. Yazdani HO, Roy E, Comerci AJ, van der Windt DJ, Zhang H, Loughran P, Huang H, Shiva S, Geller DA, Bartlett DL, Tsung A, Sheng T, Simmons RL, Tohme S. Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Drive Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Tumors to Augment Growth. Cancer Res. 2019 Nov 1;79(21):5626-5639.