For the third consecutive year, Salman Fazal, MD, has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor, an honor bestowed on only 7 percent of the nation's licensed physicians. The recognition, announced for 2026, underscores Dr. Fazal's standing as a leading hematologist and stem cell transplant and cellular therapy expert at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Harrisburg, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Dr. Fazal's practice focuses on complex malignant hematologic conditions, including myelodysplastic syndromes, acute myeloid leukemia, myeloproliferative neoplasms, B- and T-cell lymphomas, and multiple myeloma, with a particular emphasis on high-risk, relapsed, and refractory disease. He is known for offering advanced therapies such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, cellular therapies, bispecific antibodies, and innovative targeted treatments. He leads the bispecific therapy program in Central Pennsylvania, providing patients with options when conventional approaches are no longer effective.
His career includes nearly a decade as Director of the Cell Transplantation Program at Allegheny Health Network, where he led clinical, operational, and strategic efforts for allogeneic transplant and cellular therapy programs, including CAR-T and emerging immune effector therapies. He performed nearly 200 allogeneic transplants and successfully turned around a program that had below-par survival rates, achieving benchmark-level outcomes. He also established a dedicated long-term follow-up clinic for transplant patients and oversaw successful FACT accreditation inspections over nine years.
Dr. Fazal's philosophy is rooted in the human aspect of medicine. "I've trained in different systems, but the most important lesson wasn't medical; it was human," he said. "Expertise matters, but compassion is what truly defines care — and it shapes how I practice every day." This approach is reflected in his commitment to patient accessibility, offering both in-person and telemedicine consultations.
Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology, Dr. Fazal earned his medical degree from King Edward Medical College in Pakistan, completed his residency at Rosalind Franklin University/Chicago Medical School and Griffin Hospital, a Yale-affiliated program, and finished his fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital, where he served as Chief Fellow. He has been recognized as Teaching Faculty of the Year by the Hematology Oncology Fellowship at Allegheny Health Network and has served as an assistant professor at Temple University and Drexel University.
Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Fazal is an active researcher and educator, serving as principal investigator on numerous phase II and III clinical trials. His work has been published in leading journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Blood, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. He was honored as an "MPN Hero" in 2025 and serves as a medical advisor and board member for the Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Castle Connolly Top Doctors are selected through a rigorous process: physicians are nominated by their peers, and the physician-led research team evaluates nominees based on criteria including medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary history. Doctors cannot pay to be included, ensuring the list reflects genuine peer recognition. Dr. Fazal's repeated selection highlights his ongoing contributions to advancing cancer care and his dedication to his patients.
