Omar Awais, DO, is an assistant professor of surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the chief of thoracic surgery at UPMC Mercy. He specializes in minimally invasive surgery and all aspects of thoracic surgery with a focus on thoracic oncology including lung, mediastinal, esophageal, and gastroesophageal cancers.

Dr. Awais is board-certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery, and in thoracic surgery by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He received an undergraduate BA degree from City University of New York at Queens College. Dr. Awais completed his medical training at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, N.Y. He completed a residency in general surgery at Brookdale University Hospital in New York, and an advanced fellowship in minimally invasive procedures of the esophagus at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. After joining the Division of Thoracic Surgery at UPMC, and becoming a leader in esophageal cancers and minimally invasive surgeries, he expanded his focus to include cardiothoracic surgery. He completed an additional residency in the area of cardiothoracic surgery at UPMC, and focused on thoracic oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, before taking his current position at UPMC in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Dr. Awais is a participant in professional organizations, such as the American Medical Association, Esophageal Surgery Club, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Dr. Awais is a coinvestigator on several research grants, has led national scientific presentations in the area of thoracic surgery, and has published numerous referred articles, abstracts, and book chapters.

Learn more about Dr. Awais' research interests.

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