Samir Khariwala

Samir Khariwala, MD, MS, serves as Professor and Department Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Minnesota. His leadership spans clinical administration and active NIH-funded research in head and neck oncology with international collaborations including studies in Mumbai, India.

Dr. Khariwala's research program centers on tobacco carcinogen metabolism and biomarker discovery for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Key projects include high-resolution mass spectrometric profiling of carcinogen-DNA adducts in oral cells, establishment of a head and neck cancer data repository, and survival analysis of metastatic H&N SCC by metastatic site. His work aims to identify smoking-susceptible individuals for targeted prevention strategies through aggressive monitoring and lifestyle interventions.

Analysis of his 2014-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in molecular biomarkers for HNSCC prevention, surgical management optimization, and immunotherapy applications. Recent work integrates microbiome analysis with melanoma treatment and expands HPV vaccine indications for head/neck cancer prevention, demonstrating translational focus from basic carcinogenesis to clinical outcomes.

His research is supported by multiple NIH grants including K23DE023572, 1RO1-TW010651, and R01-CA263084. The Khariwala Research Program includes collaborators such as Dr. Irina Stepanov and focuses on improving early detection and survival outcomes for high-risk head and neck cancer patients through biomarker-driven approaches.

Active initiatives include the Profile Analysis of 12 Oral Cell DNA Adducts project for HNSCC susceptibility identification and the Outcomes for Metastatic H&N SCC study analyzing survival based on metastatic site to guide end-of-life care decisions. The program maintains a comprehensive clinical data repository for systematic analysis of head and neck cancer treatments.