Hooman Noorchashm, MD, PhD

Physician-scientist Dr. Hooman Noorchashm is an advocate for patient safety, ethics and women’s health. He specializes in cardiothoracic surgery and has taught and practiced medicine for nearly two decades.

His faculty appointments include positions at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Philadelphia VA Hospital.

As a researcher and scientist, he assisted in and acquired grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Noorchashm has authored more than 65 articles, abstracts and reviews in peer-reviewed medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Immunology, Nature Medicine, American Journal of Transplantation, Critical Care Medicine and Diabetes.

In addition to peer-reviewed publications, he has authored medical book chapters and has lectured at several annual medical meetings and conferences.

In 2013, Noorchashm’s wife Dr. Amy Reed had a hysterectomy with a laparoscopic power morcellator. After the surgery, she was diagnosed with stage 4 leiomyosarcoma. The couple found out the morcellator spread the previously undetected cancer in Reed’s abdominal cavity, making it more difficult to treat and lowering her chances for survival.

In order to protect other women, Noorchashm and Reed began spreading awareness, advocating for the devices’ removal from the market and influencing congressional legislation on medical device safety.

Noorchashm continues the patient safety work he and Reed began together. In 2015, he received a Health Policy Heroes Award from the National Center for Health Research.

Then in 2017, he founded the American Patient Defense Union, Inc. which he describes as “a union of, by and for patients — capable of providing adequately powered liability signals to the corporate healthcare establishment so that it can improve and evolve.”

He spoke at the 2019 Food and Drug Law Forum at Delaware Law School, highlighting the regulatory deficits in the FDA’s 510(k) medical device clearance process.

Awards, Honors and Public Service

• 2017 Founder, American Patient Defense Union, Inc. (Pro bono patient advocacy)
• 2015 Health Policy Heroes Award, National Center for Health Research
• 2004 Young Investigator Awardee, American Society of Transplant Surgeons
• 2002 Young Investigator Awardee, American Society of Transplant Surgeons
• 1999 Research Achievement Awardee, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine
• 1999 Young Investigator Awardee, International Transplantation Society
• 1997 Rapporteur, 4th World Attack on Type 1 Diabetes (JDRF-EASD joint meeting)
• 1992 Cum Laude, University of Pennsylvania

Faculty Appointments

• 2016-2017 Attending Physician, Department of Surgery, Philadelphia VA Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
• 2014-2015 Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
• 2013-14 Lecturer on Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
• 2006-11 Instructor in Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
• 2002-06 Assistant Professor of Surgical Research, Harrison Department of Surgical Research, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Medical Lectures by Invitation

• 2013 Speaker, C. Walton Lillehei Research Forum, AATS annual meeting
• 2011 Speaker, American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting
• 2011 Speaker, American Transplant Congress
• 2006 Speaker, Society of University Surgeons Annual Meeting, Plenary Presentation
• 2004 Speaker, American Transplantation Congress, Plenary Basic Science Session
• 2002 Speaker, American Transplantation Congress, Plenary Basic Science Session