Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Department of Medicine

Faculty Profiles
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photo Nathan Bahary, MD, PhD

Hematology/Oncology

Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology

Associate Pofessor, Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry

Member, McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine

Medical Director - Pancreatic Cancer Program

Co-Director - UPMC Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence

Email: baharyn@upmc.edu

Phone: 412-864-7764
Contact
Office: UPMC Cancer Pavilion
5150 Centre Avenue, 5th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
 
Phone: 412-864-7764
Fax: 412-648-6579
E-mail: baharyn@upmc.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Lois Malehorn
Address: 5150 Centre Avenue
5th floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Email: malehornlm@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-648-6589
Fax: 412-648-6579
Education and Training
Education
AB, Cornell University, 1984
M.D., Cornell University School of Medicine, 1989
Ph.D., Rockefeller University, 1992
Training
Internship, Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, 1993
Residency, Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 1994-, 1995
Clinical Oncology Fellowship, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)/Harvard Medical School 1995-, 1998
Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Children's Hospital and DFCI/Harvard Medical School 1998-, 2003
Research Interest
The principal theme of my research interests is to combine the power and insight of vertebrate development to elucidate basic molecular processes and the treatment of cancer. One of the methods used to characterize the discrete steps involved in normal vertebrate development and initiation and progression of tumors, is the generation of mutants and alteration of specific gene expression. In this regard, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an especially robust vertebrate system for isolating and defining the novel factors affecting these processes. The developing embryos are transparent, facilitating visualization, and have functioning organ systems by 24 hours post fertilization. Transgenic zebrafish, made by fusing the promoter elements of genes with a fluorescent marker (GFP), are being used to help elucidate the key steps in cancer development. This work will help provide the basis for designing rational, molecularly based disease directed therapies
Clinical Interest
I have a broad background in cancer genetics, developmental biology, molecular biology, and clinical investigations, with specific training and expertise in pancreatic cancer. Although I have a focused clinical interest in pancreatic cancer but have designed and implemented clinical trials in both colorectal and pancreatic malignancies. I am the Medical Director of the UMPC Pancreatic Cancer Program and the Co-director of the UPMC Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence. Recently we have published key papers in Gastroenterology demonstrating the ability to define critical regulators of GI development, and in Hepatology describing the unique link between PtdIns signaling, ER stress and human diseases such as pancreatic cancer. We have subsequently shown the critical role of ER stress in steatohepatitis and hepatosteatosis. We further demonstrated a critical role of ER stress in both pancreatic and intestinal disease and cancer. Currently my laboratory is focused on the connection of the ER stress--vesicular pathway in pancreatic adenocarcinoma development and treatment. I have also authored or coauthored a number of recent clinical manuscripts in the field of predictive modeling and novel pancreatic cancer therapeutics. The ultimate goal of my research interests is to translate laboratory insights in gastrointestinal cancers to our patients.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Boone BA, Bahary N, Zureikat Ah, Moser AJ, Normolle DP, Wu WC, Singhi AD, Bao P, Bartlett DL, Liotta LA, Espina V, Loughran P, Lotze MT, Zeh HJ 3rd. Safety and Biologic Response of Pre-operative Autophagy Inhibition in Combination with Gemcitabine in Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2015; 22(13): 4402-10.
Borad MJ, Reddy SG, Bahary N, Uronis HE, Sigal D, Cohn AL, Schelman WR, Stephenson J Jr, Chiorean EG, Rosen PJ, Ulrich B, Dragovich T, Del Prete SA, Rarick M, Eng C, Kroll S, Ryan DP. Randomized Phase II Trial of Gemcitabine Plus TH-302 Versus Gemcitabine in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2015; 33(13: 1475-81.
Von Hoff DD, Ervin T, Arena FP, Chiorean EG, Infante J, Moore M, Seay T, Tjulandin SA, Ma WW, Saleh MN, Harris M, Reni M, Dowden S, Laheru D, Bahary N, Ramanathan RK, Tabernero J, Hidalgo M, Goldstein D, Van Cutsem E, Wei X, Iglesias J, Renschler MR. Increased survival in pancreatic cancer with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine. New England Journal of Medicine. 2013; 369(18): 1691-703.
Boone BA, Steve J, Krasinskas AM, Zureikat AH, Lembersky BC, Gibson MK, Stoller RG, Zeh HJ, Bahary N. Outcomes with FOLFIRINOX for borderline resectable and locally unresectable pancreatic cancer. Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2013; 108(4): 236-41.
Stuckenholz C, Lu L, Thakur P, Kaminski N, Bahary N. FACS-assisted microarray profiling implicates novel genes and pathways in zebrafish gastrointestinal tract development. Gastroenterology. 2009; 137(4): 1321-32.
Thukur PC, Stuckenholz C, Rivera MR, Davison JM, Yao JK, Amersterdam A, sadler KC, Bahary N. Lack of de novo phosphatidylinositol synthesis leads to endoplasmic reticulum stress and hepatic steatosis in cdipt-deficient zebrafish. Hepatology. 2011; 54(2): 452-62.
STuckenholz C, Lu L, Thakur PC, Choi TY, Shin D, Bahary N. Sfrp5 modulates both Wnt and BMP signaling and regulates gastrointestinal organogenesis [corrected] in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. PLoS One. 2013; 8(4): e62470.
Thakur PC, Davison JM, Stuckenholz C, Lu L, Bahary N. Dysregulated phosphatidylinositol signaling promotes endoplasmic-reticulum-stress-mediated intestinal mucosal injury and inflammation in zebrafish. Disease Model Mechanisms. 2014; 7(1): 93-106.
Li D, Pant S, Ryan DP, Laheru D, Bahary N, Dragovich T, Hosein PJ, Rolfe L, Saif MW, LaValle J, Yu KH, Lowry MA, Allen A, OReilly EM. The chemokine receptors CXCR4/CXCR7 and their primary heterodimeric ligands CXCL12 and CXCL12/high mobility group box 1 in pancreatic cancer growth and development: finding flow. Pancrease. 2014; 44(4): 528-34.
Li D, Pant S, Ryan DP, Laheru D, Bahary N, Dragovich T, Hosein PJ, Rolfe L, Saif MW, LaVelle J, Yu KH, Lowery MA, Allen A, O'Reilly EM. A phase II, open-label, multicenter study to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of CO-1.01 as second-line therapy for gemcitabine-refractory patients with stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma and negative tumor hENT1 expression. Pancreatology. 2014; 14(5): 398-402.
Notable Achievements
Alan Winkelstein, MD Memorial Fellow Educator of the Year, University of Pittsburgh, 2014
PCRT (Pancreatic Cancer Research Team) Award of Excellence, 2014
Courage for a Cure Award, National Pancreas Foundation, 2016
Surgical Oncology Fellow Teaching Award of Excellence, University of Pittsburgh, 2016

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
1218 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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