We are pleased to welcome Dr. Tsewang Tashi to the faculty in the Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies as a Visiting Instructor. Tashi completed his medical school education at the Chang Gung University School of Medicine in Taiwan in 2003 and pursued Internal Medicine Residency at the Pingtung Christian Hospital in Taiwan before coming to the US in 2008 for a second Residency at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha Nebraska in 2011. After working as a Hospitalist in Internal Medicine at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon Virginia, he was selected for a Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at the University of Utah in 2012 and just completed that program. During his Fellowship Program he engaged in bench research in the laboratory of Dr. Josef Prchal.
The focus of his research has been on hypoxia signaling pathway and HIF regulation. He has worked extensively on the genetic mechanism of high altitude evolutionary adaptation in the Tibetan population. This research identified a mutation in the EGLN1 prolyl hydroxylase that contributes to their adaptive response preventing hypoxia-induced polycythemia. He published three papers with during his Fellowship and an additional seven others prior to arriving at the University of Utah. Dr. Tashi will continue in his research with Dr. Prchal and will have clinical duties at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the Veteran's Hospital. We welcome Dr. Tashi to our faculty.