Sami H. Tuffaha

Dr. Sami H. Tuffaha serves as Associate Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with cross-appointments in Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Biomedical Engineering. He directs the Johns Hopkins Peripheral Nerve Surgery Center and maintains an active clinical practice specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery with emphasis on microsurgery and peripheral nerve disorders. His clinical expertise spans treatment of hand and wrist trauma, arthritis, vascular disorders, tendon injuries, and peripheral nerve conditions, including surgical restoration of function in patients with paralysis from spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, and stroke.

Dr. Tuffaha completed his medical education at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (MD, 2011), followed by residency training in the Johns Hopkins/University of Maryland Plastic and Reconstructive Training Program (2018), and fellowship training in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine with emphasis on Microsurgery and Peripheral Nerve Surgery (2019). He is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (2020) and maintains active clinical practice at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center.

His research program focuses on developing novel therapies to enhance functional recovery from nerve injuries, with particular emphasis on peripheral nerve regeneration and treatment/prevention of symptomatic neuromas. Dr. Tuffaha leads a comprehensive research initiative that integrates basic science, translational work, and clinical trials aimed at advancing care for patients with peripheral nerve and spinal cord injuries. His laboratory investigates growth factors, biomaterials, and nanotechnology approaches to improve nerve regeneration and functional outcomes after nerve injuries.

Analysis of Dr. Tuffaha's recent publications reveals a strong focus on translational research bridging basic science discoveries with clinical applications. His work spans multiple domains including nerve regeneration mechanisms, surgical techniques for nerve repair and transfer, management of neuromas, and rehabilitation strategies for nerve injuries. A notable trend is his increasing investigation into pharmacological approaches (such as growth hormone, IGF-1, and agrin) to enhance nerve regeneration and prevent complications of denervation.

• J. Leonard Goldner Pioneer Research Award, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (2016)
• Adrian Flatt Basic Science Research Award, American Federation for Surgery of the Hand (2016)
• Discovery Award, Johns Hopkins University (2018, 2020)
• Dr. Chi-Tsung Su, M.D., Memorial Research Award, Johns Hopkins Department (2018)
• Scholarly Concentrations Excellence in Mentoring Award (2020)
• Cohen Translational Engineering Award (2021)
• Gelberman Scholar Award, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (2022)
• ASPN Travelling Fellowship, American Society for Peripheral Nerve (2022)

Dr. Tuffaha serves as principal investigator for multiple research grants focused on nerve regeneration and peripheral nerve injury treatment. His research program includes over 180 publications with more than 39,000 reads and 2,000+ citations on ResearchGate. He has co-chaired major society meetings including the American Society for Peripheral Nerve (2023) and American Association for Hand Surgery (2020). His mentorship activities include the Scholarly Concentrations program at Johns Hopkins where he received the Excellence in Mentoring Award in 2020.

Dr. Tuffaha leads the Johns Hopkins Peripheral Nerve Surgery Center, which integrates expertise from plastic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, neurology, pain medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. His research laboratory focuses on developing strategies to enhance nerve regeneration, including growth factor delivery systems, biomaterials, and novel surgical techniques. Current projects include clinical trials assessing therapeutic agents for nerve injury and translational work on nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for peripheral nerve repair.