Biography
The Nijagal lab investigates how the immune system affects the development of fetal organs. His research focuses on liver and bile duct development and how changes in the process contribute to congenital diseases and childhood liver cancer.
Dr. Nijagal completed his medical degree and a residency in general surgery at UCSF, where he served as chief resident. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and a fellowship in general and thoracic pediatric surgery at Boston Children's Hospital. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, American Pediatric Surgical Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society, and Association for Academic Surgery.
Awards & Honors
Award | Conferred By | Date |
---|---|---|
Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Mentoring Award for UCSF Teaching Faculty | UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators | 2024/2024 |
UCSF Society of Hellman Fellow | Hellman Fellows Program | 2023/2025 |
Cancer Research Coordinating Committee Faculty Seed Grant | University of CA Office of the President | 2022/2022 |
Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award | American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases | 2021/2023 |
Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS Faculty Research Fellowship | American College of Surgeons | 2019/2021 |
APSA Foundation Jay Grosfeld, MD Scholar Research Award | American Pediatric Surgical Association | 2018/2019 |
Esther Nusz Achievement Award | UCSF Department of Surgery | 2014 |
Medical Student Teaching Award | UCSF Department of Surgery | 2014 |
Medical Student Teaching Award | UCSF Department of Surgery | 2013 |
M. Judah Folkman Memorial Award-Best Podium Presentation | American Pediatric Surgical Association | 2012 |
M. Judah Folkman Memorial Award-Best Podium Presentation | American Pediatric Surgical Association | 2011 |
Camille Vandenberge-Storz Young Investigators' Award | International Fetal and Maternal Surgical Society | 2011 |
Clinical Fellow Research Training Award | California Institute for Regenerative Medicine | 2009/2012 |
Resident Research Award | Association of Academic Surgeons | 2009 |
Alpha Omega Alpha | UCSF School of Medicine | 2005 |
Education
Institution | Degree | Dept or School | End Date |
---|---|---|---|
University of California | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training | 05/2021 | |
Boston Children's Hospital | Fellowship | Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery | 2016 |
University of California, San Francisco | Residency | Department of Surgery | 2014 |
University of California , San Francisco | Postdoctoral Fellowship | Maternal-Fetal Immunology | 06/2012 |
University of California, San Francisco | M.D. | Medicine | 2006 |
University of California, Los Angeles | HHMI Research Fellowship | Immunology | 06/2004 |
Board Certifications
American Board of Surgery, General Surgery
Clinical Expertise
Program Affiliations
Abstracts
A Nijagal, M Wegorzewska, T Le, TC MacKenzie. Fetal intervention triggers the activation of paternal antigen-specific maternal T cells. American Pediatric Surgical Association 43rd Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, May 2011. accepted.
A Nijagal, S Fleck, NK Hills, S Feng, Q Tang, SM Kang, P Rosenthal, TC MacKenzie. Maternal liver transplantation in patients with biliary atresia leads to lower risk of graft failure. American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference, Boston, MA. 2011.
A Nijagal, T Le, M Wegorzewska, A Tucker, TC MacKenzie. Peripheral tolerance mechanisms are important for the maintenance of donor cell engraftment after in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation. American College of Surgeons 97th Annual Clinical Congress, San Francisco, CA. 2011.
A Nijagal, M Wegorzewska, T Le, J Gonzalez, TC MacKenzie. The maternal adaptive immune response against paternal antigens incites fetal demise after detal intervention. American Pediatric Surgical Association 42nd Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, CA, May 2011.
G Bautista, KD Gonzales, A Nijagal, C Ward, DN Miniati, H Lee, S Keating, P Norris, TH Lee, M Busch, TC MacKenzie. Maternal-fetal cellular signaling mechanisms in severe congenital giaphragmatic hernia. American Pediatric Surgical Association 42nd Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, CA, May 2011.
A Nijagal, T Le, M Wegorzewska, A Tucker, Q Tang, TC MacKenzie. Regulatory T cells establish and maintain chimerism after in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation, IMMUNOLOGY 2011. 98th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Immunologists, San Francisco, CA 2011.
A Nijagal, M Wegorzewska, T Le, A Tucker, Q Tang, TC MacKenzie. Altered T cell profiles in uterine draining lymph nodes of mice with preterm labor, IMMUNOLOGY 2011. 98th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Immunologists, San Francisco, CA 2011.
M Wegorzewska, A Nijagal, T Le, A Tucker, Q Tang, TC MacKenzie. Preterm labor leads to activation and proliferation of maternal T cells which recognize the paternal alloantigen via the indirect pathway, IMMUNOLOGY 2011. 98th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Immunologists, San Francisco, CA 2011.
A Nijagal, S Fleck, SM Kang, P Rosenthal, TC MacKenzie. Improved outcomes of living related liver transplantation with maternal donors in patients with biliary atresia, American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA 2010.
TC MacKenzie, A Nijagal, T Le, M Wegorzewska, Q Tang. Indirect antigen presentation following in utero HSC transplantation leads to clonal deletion of antigen specific T effector cells with formation of Tregs. International Society for Stem Cell Research 8th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. June 2010.
L Landsman, A Nijagal, WE Zimmer, T MacKenzie, M Hebrok. Transgenic studies reveal essential roles for embryonic pancreatic mesenchyme. Cold Spring Harbor Vertebrate Organogenesis, Cold Spring Harbor, NY. April 2010.
A Nijagal, M Wegorzewska, E Jarvis, T Le, Q Tang, and T MacKenzie. The maternal immune response limits engraftment after in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. California Institute for Regenerative Medicine 2010 Grantee Meeting. San Francisco, CA. March 2010.
T MacKenzie, E Jarvis, A Nijagal, T Le, M Wegorzewska, and Q Tang. The maternal immune response to in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The American Society of Hematology, New Orleans, LA. . December 2009.
In the News
Grants and Funding
- Novel immune mechanisms regulating the balance between homeostasis and malignancy in the developing liver | UCSF Society of Hellman Fellows | 2023-07-01 - 2025-06-30 | Role: PI
- Deciphering the role of macrophage mediated signals on immune tolerance in the developing liver | NIH/NIDDK | 2024-06-01 - 2025-05-30 | Role: PI
- Defining the role of tumor associated myeloid cells in pediatric hepatoblastoma | American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases | 2021-07-01 - 2023-06-30 | Role: PI
- The cooperative relationship between neutrophils and monocytes during neonatal liver inflammation: insight into the pathogenesis of biliary atresia | Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS Faculty Research Fellowship, American College of Surgeons | 2019-07-01 - 2021-06-30 | Role: PI
- Single cell characterization and organoid development of pediatric choledochal cysts and hepatoblastoma to understand the link between liver development and hepatobiliary malignancy | American Cancer Society | 2020-02-01 - 2021-01-31 | Role: PI
- The Role of Monocytes During the Resolution of Perinatal Liver Inflammation | UCSF Liver Center | 2019-06-01 - 2020-05-31 | Role: PI
- Investigating the Fetal Mechanisms of Liver and Bile Duct Repair: A Link to the Prenatal Origins of Biliary Atresia | American Pediatric Surgical Association | 2018-07-01 - 2019-06-30 | Role: PI
Research Narrative
Investigating How Immune Cells Regulate the Development and Repair of Fetal Organs
We study how immune cells may regulate the development and repair of fetal organs. Our research is currently focused on the development of the liver and bile ducts as the fetal liver is ripe with interactions between developing hepatocytes/cholangiocytes and the hematopoietic system. We are interested in identifying key relationships and interactions between immune cells and developing tissues in both the steady state and during fetal injury. Using advanced surgical techniques in mouse models, we are able to manipulate and induce injury in fetal organs. We have also employed “discovery” approaches to identify novel cell types and pathways that may serve as a link between the immune system and fetal development.
Research Interests
Immunology at the maternal-fetal interface
Research Pathways
Publications
- Perinatal liver inflammation is associated with persistent elevation of CXCL10 and its canonical receptor CXCR3 on common myeloid progenitors.| | PubMed
- Index admission cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis reduces 30-day readmission rates in pediatric patients.| | PubMed
- Neonatal Hepatic Myeloid Progenitors Expand and Propagate Liver Injury in Mice.| | PubMed
- Advances in the Treatment of Neonatal Biliary Disease.| | PubMed
- Hepatic Ly6CLo Non-Classical Monocytes Have Increased Nr4a1 (Nur77) in Murine Biliary Atresia.| | PubMed
- Single-cell analysis of hepatoblastoma identifies tumor signatures that predict chemotherapy susceptibility using patient-specific tumor spheroids.| | PubMed
- The need for early Kasai portoenterostomy: a Western Pediatric Surgery Research Consortium study.| | PubMed
- Neutrophils are important for the development of pro-reparative macrophages after irreversible electroporation of the liver in mice.| | PubMed
- The Role of Myeloid Populations during Perinatal Liver Injury and Repair.| | PubMed
- The natural history of fetal gallstones: a case series and updated literature review.| | PubMed
- The relative abundance of monocyte subsets determines susceptibility to perinatal hepatic inflammation.| | PubMed
- Ly6cLo non-classical monocytes promote resolution of rhesus rotavirus-mediated perinatal hepatic inflammation.| | PubMed
- Natural history of acute pediatric iliofemoral artery thrombosis treated with anticoagulation.| | PubMed
- De novo somatic mutations and KRAS amplification are associated with cholangiocarcinoma in a patient with a history of choledochal cyst.| | PubMed
- Congenital superior mesenteric artery aneurysm in a 6-week-old infant presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.| | PubMed
- Treating Biliary Atresia: The Challenge Continues.| | PubMed
- Editorial: Treating Biliary Atresia: The Challenge Continues.| | PubMed
- Late-onset hypertrophic pyloric stenosis with gastric outlet obstruction: case report and review of the literature.| | PubMed
- Fetal intervention increases maternal T cell awareness of the foreign conceptus and can lead to immune-mediated fetal demise.| | PubMed
- Direct and indirect antigen presentation lead to deletion of donor-specific T cells after in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation in mice.| | PubMed
- Clinical implications of maternal-fetal cellular trafficking.| | PubMed
- The diagnosis and management of intradiaphragmatic extralobar pulmonary sequestrations: a report of 4 cases.| | PubMed
- Alterations in maternal-fetal cellular trafficking after fetal surgery.| | PubMed
- Long-term outcomes after fetal therapy for congenital high airway obstructive syndrome.| | PubMed
- In utero hematopoietic cell transplantation for the treatment of congenital anomalies.| | PubMed
- Maternal microchimerism in patients with biliary atresia: Implications for allograft tolerance.| | PubMed
- Decreased risk of graft failure with maternal liver transplantation in patients with biliary atresia.| | PubMed
- Pancreatic mesenchyme regulates epithelial organogenesis throughout development.| | PubMed
- Dynamic tracheal occlusion improves lung morphometrics and function in the fetal lamb model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.| | PubMed
- The maternal immune response inhibits the success of in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation.| | PubMed
- A mouse model of in utero transplantation.| | PubMed
- Maternal T cells limit engraftment after in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation in mice.| | PubMed
- Intrauterine umbilical cord hemorrhage with associated jejunal atresia captured by real-time ultrasound.| | PubMed
- Colonic atresia and choledochal cyst: a rare combination.| | PubMed
- Molecular markers for gastric adenocarcinoma: an update.| | PubMed
- Normal immune development and glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis in mice deficient for the T-cell death-associated gene 8 receptor.| | PubMed
- Visualization of a primary anti-tumor immune response by positron emission tomography.| | PubMed
- Differential proton sensitivity of related G protein-coupled receptors T cell death-associated gene 8 and G2A expressed in immune cells.| | PubMed
- Spontaneous resolution of prenatal megalourethra.| | PubMed
- Gastroschisis: small hole, big cost.| | PubMed
- Endoscopic techniques in fetal surgery.| | PubMed