Pancreatic, Liver and Biliary Surgery

Steven J. Hughes, MD, is a professor and chief of surgical oncology at the UF College of Medicine. He also serves as vice chair for the department of surgery.

He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and graduated from Mayo Medical School. Dr. Hughes then completed a general surgery residency as well as a NIH-Surgical Oncology research fellowship and a surgical critical care residency at the University of Michigan.

His clinical expertise is minimally invasive approaches to hepato-pancreato-biliary diseases including the performance of laparoscopic radical pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple’s procedure).

Dr. Hughes is a past Counselor-at-Large and Chair of the Membership Committee of the Society of University Surgeons. His NIH-funded research focuses on improving our understanding of the biology of pancreatic cancer aiming to discover new methods for the diagnosis and personalized treatment of this terrible cancer.

In my 30 years of practice, I have found inspiration and grace in transplant for the opportunity to be a participant in the gift of life.

As a professor of surgery in the division of transplantation surgery, I treat patients at the end stage of liver and kidney disease, diabetes with kidney disease and pancreas, and biliary disease. My clinical interests include liver transplantation, renal transplantation and surgical management of hepato-biliary diseases.

Prior to joining the University of Florida College of Medicine, I worked as chief transplant officer and medical director of transplant services at Wellstar Health System in Marietta, Georgia, as chairman and program director of the Piedmont Transplant Institute in Atlanta and as director of both kidney and liver transplant services at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

I earned my medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed a general residency at New England Medical Center in Boston. Afterwards, I completed a clinical and research fellowship in transplantation surgery at Harvard Medical School.

In my free time, I enjoy many outdoor activities, including mountain biking, pickle ball and relaxing at the beach with my kids.

As a professor in the University of Florida Division of Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery, I treat patients with liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as other rare liver cancers), liver disease, liver injury, bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), and bile duct injuries, mostly with surgery or with liver transplantation. Deceased donor transplantation grants me the privilege of making the most of tragedy and wrestling meaning from so many unanswered questions. I see transplantation as a miracle, and it amazes me every time.

My focus as a physician and scientist is on providing individualized care for each one of my patients. Right now, we work on the application of technology we develop in our lab to practical surgical and medical questions. Essentially, our focus is on getting the right drug or care to the right patient in the right amounts at the right times.

Before joining the division of transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery, I graduated with a doctorate degree in biochemistry and a medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. Thereafter, I completed a general surgery residency and a fellowship in multivisceral transplant and hepatobiliary surgery from the University of California, Los Angeles.

On top of providing care for my patients, I am a diplomate in general surgery through the American Board of Surgery and a fellow of the American Society of Transplantation, dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation and improving patient care. I am also certified in multivisceral transplantation through the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

When not practicing, I enjoy chauffeuring my children to their activities.

Ibrahim Nassour, MD, MSCS is an assistant professor, with the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. At UF Health, Dr. Nassour specializes in surgeries for cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, liver and bile duct. He has special interest in robotic pancreato-biliary surgery including robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure) and in regional therapies for metastatic disease.

Dr. Nassour earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed his general surgery residency at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. During his training, he pursued a postdoctoral research fellowship and received a master’s degree in clinical and translational science. Most recently Dr. Nassour received advanced training in complex general surgical oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Nassour’s research focuses on comparative effectiveness studies that evaluate the role of minimally invasive and robotic surgery as well as the role of neoadjuvant therapy in the management of pancreato-biliary cancers. In addition, he is interested in designing clinical trials that incorporate liquid biopsies and adaptive neoadjuvant therapies in the management of pancreato-biliary malignancies with the goal to improve and optimize the care of cancer patients. His research has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and books.

Dr. Nassour is board certified surgeon by the American Board of Surgery. He is a member of the Association for Academic Surgery, the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and the American College of Surgeons.