Salman Fazal, MD, a hematologist and stem cell transplant expert at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Harrisburg, has been recognized as a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor for the third year in a row. This honor, awarded to only 7 percent of licensed physicians nationwide, underscores Dr. Fazal's standing in his field and his dedication to advancing cancer care.
Dr. Fazal brings over 16 years of experience to his practice, focusing on complex malignant hematologic conditions such as myelodysplastic syndromes, acute myeloid leukemia, myeloproliferative neoplasms, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. He specializes in high-risk and relapsed cases, offering patients advanced treatment options including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, cellular therapies, bispecific antibodies, and targeted therapies. He leads the bispecific therapy program in Central Pennsylvania, giving patients access to cutting-edge treatments when conventional methods fall short.
His leadership extends to his previous role as Director of the Cell Transplantation Program at Allegheny Health Network, where he oversaw allogeneic transplant and cellular therapy programs for nearly a decade. During his tenure, he performed nearly 200 allogeneic transplants, improved survival rates to meet expected benchmarks, and established a dedicated long-term follow-up clinic for transplant patients. He also guided the program through successful FACT accreditation inspections over nine years.
Dr. Fazal's commitment to patient accessibility is evident through versatile consultation options, including in-person appointments and telemedicine video visits. His patient-centered approach is rooted in a philosophy he articulated: "I've trained in different systems, but the most important lesson wasn't medical; it was human. Expertise matters, but compassion is what truly defines care."
His academic and research contributions are notable. He has served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Temple University and Drexel University and has been a principal investigator on numerous phase II and III clinical trials. His research on transplantation outcomes, graft-versus-host disease, and hematologic malignancies 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 named Teaching Faculty of the Year by the Hematology Oncology Fellowship at Allegheny Health Network and has been honored as an "MPN Hero" in 2025.
Castle Connolly Top Doctors are selected through a rigorous process that includes peer nominations and physician-led research. According to the organization, doctors cannot pay to be selected. Dr. Fazal's recognition reflects his peers' high regard and his ongoing impact on patient care and medical education.
