Hobart W. Harris

Dr. Hobart W. Harris is Professor of Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, holding the J. Engelbert Dunphy Endowed Chair in Surgery. He directs the Center for Hernia Repair & Abdominal Wall Reconstruction and leads the Infection, Injury and Immunity Lab. As a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, he maintains active clinical practice through UCSF's Complex Abdominal Surgery Program specializing in high-acuity surgical conditions.

• Harvard University (M.D., School of Medicine, 1983)
• University of California, San Francisco (Residency, School of Medicine - Surgery)

Research Interests: Dr. Harris pioneers innovations in abdominal wall reconstruction for complex ventral hernias using techniques like progressive pneumoperitoneum, while advancing fundamental understanding of surgical infections and innate immunity. His work bridges translational immunology (particularly in hidradenitis suppurativa) with surgical device development, including novel mesh technologies and strain-monitoring systems. Recent publications emphasize cost-effectiveness in hernia repair and global surgical care disparities.

Analysis of his 112 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) Hernia repair optimization (45% of recent work), focusing on mesh technology and preventive strategies; (2) Immunopathogenesis of inflammatory conditions (30%), particularly skin immunity and B-cell biology; (3) Global surgical implementation science (15%), with significant work in Ghana on resource-appropriate hernia care. His NIH-funded research consistently integrates basic science with clinical outcomes.

Dr. Harris has secured continuous NIH funding since 1988 as Principal Investigator for projects including Complex Ventral Hernia Repair (2013-2017) and Lipoproteins and Microbial Immunity (2010-2015). His mentorship extends through UCSF's surgical training programs where he has developed mindfulness-based stress resilience curricula for residents. Current clinical trials include NCT03911700 (Prophylactic Reinforcement of Ventral Abdominal Incisions) and NCT02584153 (Fibrin Sealant for Hernia Prevention).

The Infection, Injury and Immunity Lab employs multidisciplinary approaches combining surgical science, immunology, and biomedical engineering. Current projects include developing coupled magnetoelastic strain sensors for hernia repair monitoring and investigating T-regulatory cell dynamics in inflammatory skin conditions. Dr. Harris actively collaborates with industry partners on surgical device innovation while maintaining strong international partnerships for global surgical capacity building.