Amar Nijagal, MD

Title(s)Associate Professor, Surgery
SchoolSchool of Medicine
Address513 Parnassus Avenue, HSW, #1619
San Francisco CA 94143
Phone415-476-4086
PronounsHe/Him/His
ORCID ORCID Icon0000-0003-2200-6887 Additional info
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    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse education and training
    University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CAM.D.2006 Medicine
    University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CAResidency2014Department of Surgery
    Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MAFellowship2016Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery
    University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CAHHMI Research Fellowship06/2004Immunology
    University of California , San Francisco, San Francisco, CAPostdoctoral Fellowship06/2012Maternal-Fetal Immunology
    University of California, San Francisco, CA05/2021Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training
    Collapse awards and honors
    Hellman Fellows Program2023  - 2025UCSF Society of Hellman Fellow
    UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators2024  - 2024Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Mentoring Award for UCSF Teaching Faculty
    University of CA Office of the President2022  - 2022Cancer Research Coordinating Committee Faculty Seed Grant
    American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases2021  - 2023Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award
    American College of Surgeons2019  - 2021Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS Faculty Research Fellowship
    American Pediatric Surgical Association2018  - 2019APSA Foundation Jay Grosfeld, MD Scholar Research Award

    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse overview
    Dr. Amar Nijagal is a pediatric surgeon who specializes in caring for children with disorders of the liver and bile ducts.

    The Nijagal lab investigates how the immune system affects the development of fetal organs. His research focuses on liver and bile duct development and how changes in the process contribute to congenital diseases and childhood liver cancer.

    Dr. Nijagal completed his medical degree and a residency in general surgery at UCSF, where he served as chief resident. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and a fellowship in general and thoracic pediatric surgery at Boston Children's Hospital. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, American Pediatric Surgical Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society, and Association for Academic Surgery.

    Collapse Research 
    Collapse research activities and funding
    Deciphering the role of macrophage mediated signals on immune tolerance in the developing liver
    NIH/NIDDK NIH P30 DK026743Jun 1, 2024 - May 30, 2025
    Role: PI
    Novel immune mechanisms regulating the balance between homeostasis and malignancy in the developing liver
    UCSF Society of Hellman Fellows Jul 1, 2023 - Jun 30, 2025
    Role: PI
    Defining the role of tumor associated myeloid cells in pediatric hepatoblastoma
    American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases N/AJul 1, 2021 - Jun 30, 2023
    Role: PI
    Single cell characterization and organoid development of pediatric choledochal cysts and hepatoblastoma to understand the link between liver development and hepatobiliary malignancy
    American Cancer Society IRG-17-180-19Feb 1, 2020 - Jan 31, 2021
    Role: PI
    The cooperative relationship between neutrophils and monocytes during neonatal liver inflammation: insight into the pathogenesis of biliary atresia
    Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS Faculty Research Fellowship, American College of Surgeons N/AJul 1, 2019 - Jun 30, 2021
    Role: PI
    The Role of Monocytes During the Resolution of Perinatal Liver Inflammation
    UCSF Liver Center NIH P30 DK026743Jun 1, 2019 - May 31, 2020
    Role: PI
    Investigating the Fetal Mechanisms of Liver and Bile Duct Repair: A Link to the Prenatal Origins of Biliary Atresia
    American Pediatric Surgical Association N/AJul 1, 2018 - Jun 30, 2019
    Role: PI

    Collapse ORNG Applications 
    Collapse Featured Publications

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    Altmetrics Details PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. Immunology of Biliary Atresia. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2024 Dec; 33(6):151474. Miller PN, Baskaran S, Nijagal A. PMID: 39862687.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    2. Perinatal liver inflammation is associated with persistent elevation of CXCL10 and its canonical receptor CXCR3 on common myeloid progenitors. bioRxiv. 2024 Aug 19. Alkhani A, Baskaran S, Murti A, Rapp B, Levy CS, Wang B, Nijagal A. PMID: 39229070; PMCID: PMC11370417.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    3. Index admission cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis reduces 30-day readmission rates in pediatric patients. Surg Endosc. 2024 Mar; 38(3):1351-1357. Pathak SJ, Ji H, Nijagal A, Avila P, Dai SC, Arain MA, Kouanda A. PMID: 38114877; PMCID: PMC10881756.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    4. Neonatal Hepatic Myeloid Progenitors Expand and Propagate Liver Injury in Mice. J Clin Med. 2023 Jan 01; 12(1). Alkhani A, Korsholm C, Levy CS, Mohamedaly S, Duwaerts CC, Pietras EM, Nijagal A. PMID: 36615137; PMCID: PMC9821039.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1  
    5. Advances in the Treatment of Neonatal Biliary Disease. Clin Perinatol. 2022 12; 49(4):981-993. Mohamedaly S, Nijagal A. PMID: 36328612.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    6. Hepatic Ly6CLo Non-Classical Monocytes Have Increased Nr4a1 (Nur77) in Murine Biliary Atresia. J Clin Med. 2022 Sep 08; 11(18). Mohamedaly S, Levy CS, Korsholm C, Alkhani A, Rosenberg K, Ashouri JF, Nijagal A. PMID: 36142937; PMCID: PMC9504567.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1  
    7. Single-cell analysis of hepatoblastoma identifies tumor signatures that predict chemotherapy susceptibility using patient-specific tumor spheroids. Nat Commun. 2022 08 25; 13(1):4878. Song H, Bucher S, Rosenberg K, Tsui M, Burhan D, Hoffman D, Cho SJ, Rangaswami A, Breese M, Leung S, Ventura MVP, Sweet-Cordero EA, Huang FW, Nijagal A, Wang B. PMID: 36008377; PMCID: PMC9411569.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 17     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    8. The need for early Kasai portoenterostomy: a Western Pediatric Surgery Research Consortium study. Pediatr Surg Int. 2022 Feb; 38(2):193-199. Kelley-Quon LI, Shue E, Burke RV, Smith C, Kling K, Mahdi E, Ourshalimian S, Fenlon M, Dellinger M, Shew SB, Lee J, Padilla B, Inge T, Roach J, Marwan AI, Russell KW, Ignacio R, Fialkowski E, Nijagal A, Im C, Azarow KS, Ostlie DJ, Wang K. PMID: 34854975; PMCID: PMC8742784.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    9. Neutrophils are important for the development of pro-reparative macrophages after irreversible electroporation of the liver in mice. Sci Rep. 2021 07 22; 11(1):14986. Lopez-Ichikawa M, Vu NK, Nijagal A, Rubinsky B, Chang TT. PMID: 34294763; PMCID: PMC8298444.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    10. The Role of Myeloid Populations during Perinatal Liver Injury and Repair. J Cell Immunol. 2021; 3(1):42-45. Alkhani A, Mohamedaly S, Nijagal A. PMID: 36199440; PMCID: PMC9531850.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    11. The natural history of fetal gallstones: a case series and updated literature review. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022 Dec; 35(24):4755-4762. Schwab ME, Braun HJ, Feldstein VA, Nijagal A. PMID: 33327815; PMCID: PMC8206229.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    12. The relative abundance of monocyte subsets determines susceptibility to perinatal hepatic inflammation. J Clin Cell Immunol. 2020; 11(6). Mohamedaly S, Alkhani A, Nijagal A. PMID: 36304699; PMCID: PMC9603689.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    13. Ly6cLo non-classical monocytes promote resolution of rhesus rotavirus-mediated perinatal hepatic inflammation. Sci Rep. 2020 04 28; 10(1):7165. Alkhani A, Levy CS, Tsui M, Rosenberg KA, Polovina K, Mattis AN, Mack M, Van Dyken S, Wang BM, Maher JJ, Nijagal A. PMID: 32346042; PMCID: PMC7188847.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 17     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    14. Natural history of acute pediatric iliofemoral artery thrombosis treated with anticoagulation. J Vasc Surg. 2020 12; 72(6):2027-2034. Ramirez JL, Kuhrau CR, Wu B, Zarkowsky DS, Conte MS, Oskowitz AZ, Nijagal A, Vartanian SM. PMID: 32276025.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
    15. De novo somatic mutations and KRAS amplification are associated with cholangiocarcinoma in a patient with a history of choledochal cyst. J Pediatr Surg. 2020 Dec; 55(12):2657-2661. Schwab ME, Song H, Mattis A, Phelps A, Vu LT, Huang FW, Nijagal A. PMID: 32295706; PMCID: PMC7942710.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    16. Congenital superior mesenteric artery aneurysm in a 6-week-old infant presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. J Vasc Surg. 2020 04; 71(4):1391-1394. Subbaraj L, Beleniski F, Courtier J, Vartanian S, Nijagal A. PMID: 31401110.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
    17. Treating Biliary Atresia: The Challenge Continues. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2019 04; 68(4):464-465. Nijagal A, Perito ER. PMID: 30896606; PMCID: PMC6430144.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    18. Editorial: Treating Biliary Atresia: The Challenge Continues. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2019 Feb 05. Nijagal A, Perito ER. PMID: 30747816.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    19. Late-onset hypertrophic pyloric stenosis with gastric outlet obstruction: case report and review of the literature. Pediatr Surg Int. 2016 Oct; 32(10):1013-6. Wolf LL, Nijagal A, Flores A, Buchmiller TL. PMID: 27506212.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    20. Fetal intervention increases maternal T cell awareness of the foreign conceptus and can lead to immune-mediated fetal demise. J Immunol. 2014 Feb 15; 192(4):1938-45. Wegorzewska M, Nijagal A, Wong CM, Le T, Lescano N, Tang Q, MacKenzie TC. PMID: 24415782; PMCID: PMC4268439.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 28     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    21. Direct and indirect antigen presentation lead to deletion of donor-specific T cells after in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation in mice. Blood. 2013 May 30; 121(22):4595-602. Nijagal A, Derderian C, Le T, Jarvis E, Nguyen L, Tang Q, Mackenzie TC. PMID: 23610372; PMCID: PMC3668492.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 27     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    22. Clinical implications of maternal-fetal cellular trafficking. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2013 Feb; 22(1):62-5. Nijagal A, MacKenzie TC. PMID: 23395148.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
    23. The diagnosis and management of intradiaphragmatic extralobar pulmonary sequestrations: a report of 4 cases. J Pediatr Surg. 2012 Aug; 47(8):1501-5. Nijagal A, Jelin E, Feldstein VA, Courtier J, Urisman A, Jones KD, Lee H, Hirose S, MacKenzie TC. PMID: 22901907.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    24. Long-term outcomes after fetal therapy for congenital high airway obstructive syndrome. J Pediatr Surg. 2012 Jun; 47(6):1095-100. Saadai P, Jelin EB, Nijagal A, Schecter SC, Hirose S, MacKenzie TC, Rand L, Goldstein R, Farrell J, Harrison M, Lee H. PMID: 22703776.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 10     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    25. Alterations in maternal-fetal cellular trafficking after fetal surgery. J Pediatr Surg. 2012 Jun; 47(6):1089-94. Saadai P, Lee TH, Bautista G, Gonzales KD, Nijagal A, Busch MP, Kim CJ, Romero R, Lee H, Hirose S, Rand L, Miniati D, Farmer DL, MacKenzie TC. PMID: 22703775; PMCID: PMC3377979.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 10     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    26. In utero hematopoietic cell transplantation for the treatment of congenital anomalies. Clin Perinatol. 2012 Jun; 39(2):301-10. Nijagal A, Flake AW, MacKenzie TC. PMID: 22682381.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 13     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    27. Maternal microchimerism in patients with biliary atresia: Implications for allograft tolerance. Chimerism. 2012 Apr-Jun; 3(2):37-9. Nijagal A, Fleck S, MacKenzie TC. PMID: 22772071; PMCID: PMC3442810.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    28. Decreased risk of graft failure with maternal liver transplantation in patients with biliary atresia. Am J Transplant. 2012 Feb; 12(2):409-19. Nijagal A, Fleck S, Hills NK, Feng S, Tang Q, Kang SM, Rosenthal P, MacKenzie TC. PMID: 22221561.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 18     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    29. Pancreatic mesenchyme regulates epithelial organogenesis throughout development. PLoS Biol. 2011 Sep; 9(9):e1001143. Landsman L, Nijagal A, Whitchurch TJ, Vanderlaan RL, Zimmer WE, Mackenzie TC, Hebrok M. PMID: 21909240; PMCID: PMC3167782.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 74     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    30. Dynamic tracheal occlusion improves lung morphometrics and function in the fetal lamb model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. J Pediatr Surg. 2011 Jun; 46(6):1150-7. Jelin EB, Etemadi M, Encinas J, Schecter SC, Chapin C, Wu J, Guevara-Gallardo S, Nijagal A, Gonzales KD, Ferrier WT, Roy S, Miniati D. PMID: 21683214; PMCID: PMC3128884.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    31. The maternal immune response inhibits the success of in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation. Chimerism. 2011 Apr; 2(2):55-7. Nijagal A, Wegorzewska M, Le T, Tang Q, Mackenzie TC. PMID: 21912720; PMCID: PMC3166485.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 13     Fields:    
    32. A mouse model of in utero transplantation. J Vis Exp. 2011 Jan 27; (47). Nijagal A, Le T, Wegorzewska M, Mackenzie TC. PMID: 21307829; PMCID: PMC3182662.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 19     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    33. Maternal T cells limit engraftment after in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation in mice. J Clin Invest. 2011 Feb; 121(2):582-92. Nijagal A, Wegorzewska M, Jarvis E, Le T, Tang Q, MacKenzie TC. PMID: 21245575; PMCID: PMC3026737.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 64     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    34. Intrauterine umbilical cord hemorrhage with associated jejunal atresia captured by real-time ultrasound. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Mar; 200(3):e5-6. Nijagal A, Rand L, Goldstein R, Poder L, Miniati D. PMID: 18992865.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    35. Colonic atresia and choledochal cyst: a rare combination. Pediatr Surg Int. 2009 Jan; 25(1):113-5. Nijagal A, Ozgediz D, Feldstein VA, Lee H, Harrison MR. PMID: 18985360.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    36. Normal immune development and glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis in mice deficient for the T-cell death-associated gene 8 receptor. Mol Cell Biol. 2006 Jan; 26(2):668-77. Radu CG, Cheng D, Nijagal A, Riedinger M, McLaughlin J, Yang LV, Johnson J, Witte ON. PMID: 16382156; PMCID: PMC1346912.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 34     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    37. Molecular markers for gastric adenocarcinoma: an update. Mol Diagn Ther. 2006; 10(6):345-52. Anderson C, Nijagal A, Kim J. PMID: 17154651.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    38. Visualization of a primary anti-tumor immune response by positron emission tomography. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Nov 29; 102(48):17412-7. Shu CJ, Guo S, Kim YJ, Shelly SM, Nijagal A, Ray P, Gambhir SS, Radu CG, Witte ON. PMID: 16293690; PMCID: PMC1283986.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 23     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    39. Differential proton sensitivity of related G protein-coupled receptors T cell death-associated gene 8 and G2A expressed in immune cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Feb 01; 102(5):1632-7. Radu CG, Nijagal A, McLaughlin J, Wang L, Witte ON. PMID: 15665078; PMCID: PMC545089.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 90     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    40. Spontaneous resolution of prenatal megalourethra. J Pediatr Surg. 2004 Sep; 39(9):1421-3. Nijagal A, Sydorak RM, Feldstein VA, Hirose S, Albanese CT. PMID: 15359404.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    41. Gastroschisis: small hole, big cost. J Pediatr Surg. 2002 Dec; 37(12):1669-72. Sydorak RM, Nijagal A, Sbragia L, Hirose S, Tsao K, Phibbs RH, Schmitt SK, Lee H, Farmer DL, Harrison MR, Albanese CT. PMID: 12483626.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 15     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    42. Endoscopic techniques in fetal surgery. Yonsei Med J. 2001 Dec; 42(6):695-710. Sydorak RM, Nijagal A, Albanese CT. PMID: 11754153.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:Humans
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