Amar Nijagal

Dr. Amar Nijagal is a pediatric surgeon and researcher at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, Department of Surgery. His work bridges clinical practice and laboratory research, focusing on liver and bile duct development in congenital diseases and pediatric cancers.

• University: University of California San Francisco
• School: School of Medicine
• Department: Department of Surgery

Education:

• B.A., Philosophy, Duke University (2000)
• M.D., University of California, San Francisco (2006)
• HHMI Medical Student Research Fellowship, University of California, Los Angeles (2004)
• Internship & Residency, General Surgery, UCSF (2007-2014)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Maternal-Fetal Immunology, UCSF (2012)
• Fellowship, Pediatric General & Thoracic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital (2016)

Research Interests: Dr. Nijagal's research examines immune system interactions during fetal organ development, particularly in liver and bile duct formation. His work connects immune mechanisms to congenital liver diseases and pediatric cancers like hepatoblastoma, using single-cell analysis and organoid models.

Article Trends: Recent publications focus on myeloid cell dynamics in liver injury, immune tolerance in neonatal inflammation, and genomic drivers of pediatric hepatobiliary cancers. Key collaborations span immunology, surgery, and oncology labs, with funding from NIH, Hellman Fellows, and the American Cancer Society.

Scientific Awards:

• Judah Folkman Memorial Award (2011, 2012, 2013)
• Medical Student Teaching Award (2014)
• Esther Nusz Achievement Award (2018)
• APSA Foundation Jay Grosfeld Scholar Award (2019)
• Franklin H. Martin Faculty Research Fellowship (2019)
• UCSF Liver Center Pilot Award (2019)
• American Cancer Society Individual Research Grant (2020)
• Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (2020)

Grants: Active funding includes NIH/NIDDK (2024-2025), UCSF Society of Hellman Fellows (2023-2025), and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (2021-2023). Prior grants from the American College of Surgeons and UCSF Liver Center supported studies on myeloid cell roles in biliary atresia and hepatoblastoma.