Dr. Paulo Fontes is currently an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Fontes first joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Surgery in 1993, after completing both a research fellowship in cell transplantation and a clinical fellowship in transplantation surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute. Dr. Fontes now holds medical licenses in both Pennsylvania and Sao Paulo, Brazil, and medical staff privileges at UPMC Presbyterian and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Prior to joining the UPMC staff, Dr. Fontes earned his medical degree from Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and served his residency in general surgery at Professor Edmundo Vasconcelos Hospital in Sao Paulo. He also completed a research fellowship in operative technique and experimental surgery at Sao Paulo Federal University School of Medicine, within the Department of Surgery.
Currently, Dr. Fontes is a member of numerous professional and scientific societies, including the Brazilian College of Surgeons, the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science, the Brazilian College of Abdominal Surgeons, the International College of Surgeons, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the Transplantation Society, the International Liver Transplantation Society and the American College of Surgeons. Additionally, Dr. Fontes is a founding member of the Cell Transplant Society.
Since joining the University, Dr. Fontes has been featured in several publications for his research efforts and accomplishments in clinical transplantation. Due to his achievements and vision in the field of transplantation, Dr. Fontes was invited to write a review article focusing on stem cell transplantation, as part of a series entitled The Future of Medicine published by the British Medical Journal. He was also interviewed by the Health Channel and was featured in a segment from one of his liver transplant operations during a special program on organ transplantation, Transplant: Kill or Cure?.
Dr. Fontes has most recently been listed among the Who's Who in the World 2000 and Who's Who in America 2002. He was also recently honored by the Brazilian Bank of Discount (BRADESCO) Foundation in two consecutive years for his research papers and oral presentations, and awarded a full scholarship by the Sao Paulo State Government for support towards his medical education.
A Few of Dr. Fontes accomplishments that have warranted such recognition include:
- Combined with the efforts of Drs. Starzl and Fung, Dr. Fontes has helped to pioneer the perioperative infusion of donor bone marrow into unconditioned recipients' of cadaveric allografts. In conjunction with whole organ transplantation, this process may significantly aid in patients' development of organ tolerance and less dependence on immunosuppressive drugs.
- Wide-ranging surgical expertise in hepatobiliary surgery and liver transplantation which has lead to the development of interests concerning hepatic malignancies and the prevention and treatment of hepatobiliary neoplastic diseases.
- Extensive accomplishments in the study of xenotransplantation, dedication to addressing the shortage of donor organs, and growing interest in the development of large animal models of transplantation for subsequent pre-clinical studies.
- Devotion to improvement of the standards for healthcare delivery in Latin America>
His extensive knowledge of international affairs has also permitted him to act as a consultant on numerous projects in addition to his duties as the Director of the South & American Division, UPMC Overseas Inc.
Clinically, Dr. Fontes is renowned for his trials to evaluate the use of donor bone marrow to assist in the development of organ tolerance, in hopes to improve the quality of life and the lifespan of a transplanted organ. Currently, Dr. Fontes and his research team are involved in research concerning:
- How co-existing donor and recipient white blood cell populations survive and become non-reactive to each other after their initial meeting
- How to assist donor organ (graft) acceptance by bolstering and/or altering graft vs. recipient or recipient vs. graft rejection
- Prevention of antibody-based and cytotoxic immune responses to same-species transplants and xenotransplantation, as well as, the metabolic consequences of prevention.
- Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell therapy for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease - a cancer-like complication of transplantation usually caused by infection with Epstein-Barr virus.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Paulo Fontes, MD
Phone: (412) 647-7344
Email: fontesp@upmc.edu