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Faculty Detail    
Name SAMEER AL DIFFALHA
Associate Professor (GI/Breast)
Medical Director, University of Alabama at Birmingham Tissue Biorepository (UAB-TBR) (2020-Current)
Team Leader, Gastrointestinal & hepatopancreatobiliary Pathology (2017-2019)
Program Director, Gastrointestinal & hepatopancreatobiliary Pathology Fellowship (2017-current)		  
Campus Address NP 3545 Zip 6823
Phone
E-mail
Other websites https://sites.uab.edu/tissuebank/about-the-tissue-biorepostory/
https://www.uab.edu/medicine/pathology/faculty/anatomic-pathology/breast
https://www.uab.edu/medicine/pathology/education/fellowship-program/women-s-health-pathology
https://www.uab.edu/medicine/pathology/faculty/anatomic-pathology/gastrointestinal
     

Education
Medical School  Damascus University    2006  M.D. 
Residency  Damascus University    2011  Anatomic Pathology 
Residency  Loyola University Medical Center    2015  Anatomic & Clinical Pathology 
Fellowship  H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center    2016  Surgical Oncologic Pathology with Breast focus 
Fellowship  H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center    2017  Gastrointestinal Surgical Pathology 

Certifications
American Board of Pathology: Anatomic & Clinical Pathology  2015 


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Clinical Pathology  Anatomic Pathology Associate Professor
Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center Associate Professor

Biographical Sketch 
Dr. Al Diffalha is an American Board Certified Anatomic/Clinical pathologist. He completed his gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and pancreas pathology fellowship training at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer center and Tampa General Hospital in Tampa FL 2016-2017 as well as general surgical pathology fellowship training at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center between 2015-2016 with breast focus. Dr. Al Diffalha achieved his residency training in Anatomic and clinical pathology at Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) in Chicago, IL between 2011-2015. He had pathology training at University Of Damascus, Syria 2006-2011. He obtained his medical degree from University of Damascus, Syria 2006. . Dr. Al Diffalha has published multiple articles and book chapters in addition to current papers in press. He is the primary principle investigator in liver disease as well as the secondary investigator in other grants that focus on Barrett esophagus, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and more GI related neoplastic and non neoplastic diseases. We have been delighted and honored that Dr. Al Diffalha joined UAB in August 2017. He is an enthusiastic main GI pathology faculty. Dr. Al Diffalha is the GI Fellowship Program Director, Current Medical Director of UAB-Tissue Biorepository, and previous faculty staff at UAB Tissue Collection and Banking Facility (TCBF) and Principle investigator (PI) at Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN). He is a member of UAB Pancreatobiliary Disease Program (PDP)to design patient care pathways for Pancreatobiliary disease and a member of UAB GI Working Group.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP)  Member   
College of American Pathologists (CAP)  Member   
Florida Society of Pathology (FSP)  Member   
International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER)  Member   
Pancreatobiliary Pathology Society (PBPS)  Member   
Rodger C. Haggitt Gastrointestinal Pathology Society (GIPS)  Member   
The Hans Popper Hepatopathology Society (HPHS)  Member   
United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP)  Member   
 



Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
Al Diffalha S, Sexton KC, Watson PH, Grizzle WE. The Importance of Human Tissue Bioresources in Advancing Biomedical Research. Biopreserv Biobank. 2019 Jun;17(3):209-212. doi: 10.1089/bio.2019.0039.  31188626 
Grizzle WE, Bledsoe MJ, Al Diffalha S, Otali D, Sexton KC. The Utilization of Biospecimens: Impact of the Choice of Biobanking Model. Biopreserv Biobank. 2019 Jun;17(3):230-242. doi: 10.1089/bio.2019.0008.  31188627 
Otali D, Al Diffalha S, Grizzle WE. Biological, Medical, and Other Tissue Variables Affecting Biospecimen Utilization. Biopreserv Biobank. 2019 Jun;17(3):258-263. doi: 10.1089/bio.2018.0094.  31188629 
Agarwal S, Behring M, Hale K, Al Diffalha S, Wang K, Manne U, Varambally S. MTHFD1L, A Folate Cycle Enzyme, Is Involved in Progression of Colorectal Cancer. Transl Oncol. 2019 Nov;12(11):1461-1467. doi: 10.1016/j.tranon.2019.07.011. Epub
2019 Aug 14. 		 31421459 
Nicolas CT, Al Diffalha S, Reddy S. Diffuse histology-proven mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreas: A case report and review of literature. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2019;64:123-127. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2019.10.015. Epub 2019 Oct 15  31634784 
Saller J, Al Diffalha S, Neill K, Bhaskar RA, Oliveri C, Boulware D, Levine H, Kalvaria I, Corbett FS, Khazanchi A, Klapman J, Coppola D. CDX-2 Expression in Esophageal Biopsies Without Goblet Cell Intestinal Metaplasia May Be Predictive
of Barrett's Esophagus. Dig Dis Sci. 2019 Nov 5 		 31691172 
Cives M, Strosberg J, Al Diffalha S, Coppola D. Analysis of the immune landscape of small bowel neuroendocrine tumors. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2019 Jan 1;26(1):119-130. doi: 10.1530/ERC-18-0189.  30400003 
Howard R, Al Diffalha S, Pimiento J, Mejia J, Enderling H, Giuliano A, Coppola D. CD133 Expression as a Helicobacter pylori-independent Biomarker of Gastric Cancer Progression. Anticancer Res. 2018 Aug;38(8):4443-4448. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.12746. PubMed PMID:30061208.  30061208 
Neill KG, Saller J, Al Diffalha S, Centeno BA, Malafa MP, Coppola D. EGFR L861Q Mutation in a Metastatic Solid-pseudopapillary Neoplasm of the Pancreas. Cancer Genomics Proteomics. 2018 May-Jun;15(3):201-205.  29695402 
Agosto-Arroyo E, Tahmasbi M, Al Diffalha S, Khazai L, Xiong Y, Rosa M. Invasive Breast Carcinoma Tumor Size on Core Needle Biopsy: Analysis of Practice Patterns and Effect on Final Pathologic Tumor Stage. Clin Breast Cancer. 2018 Mar 5. pii: S1526-8209(18)30063-6. doi: 10.1016/j.clbc.2018.02.013.  29622383 
Jiang K, Al-Diffhala S, Centeno BA. Primary Liver Cancers-Part 1: Histopathology, Differential Diagnoses, and Risk Stratification. Cancer Control. 2018 Jan-Mar;25(1):1073274817744625. doi: 10.1177/1073274817744625. PubMed PMID:29350068   29350068 
Weitman E, Al Diffalha S, Centeno B, Hodul P. An isolated intestinal duplication cyst masquerading as a mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreas: A case report and review of the literature. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2017;39:208-211. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2017.08.030. Epub 2017 Aug 24. PubMed PMID: 28854411; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5575442.  28854411 
Al Diffalha S, Shaar M, Barkan GA, Wojcik EM, Picken MM, Pambuccian SE.Immunohistochemistry in the workup of prostate biopsies: Frequency, variation andappropriateness of use among pathologists practicing at an academic center. Ann DiagnPathol. 2017 Apr;27:34-42. doi: 10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2017.01.003. Epub2017 Jan 7. PubMed PMID: 28325359.  28325359 
Al Diffalha S, Al Aukla N, Hasan S, Dickinson S, Khalil F. NUT Midline Carcinoma: A Rare Malignancy. Cancer Control. 2017 Apr;24(2):202-206. PubMed PMID: 28441376.  28441376 
Sameer AL Diffalha, Maryam Tahmasbi and Farah Khalil.“Rare case of combined small celllung cancer with adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma”. Hum Pathol case report .Received 8 February 2016 Accepted 18 May 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehpc.2016.05.002  doi.org/10.1016/j.ehpc.2016.05.002 
Sameer Al Diffalha, MD, Emmanuel Agosto-Arroyo, MD, Marilin Rosa, MD, Laila Khazai,MD." Symmetrical lipomatosis of tongue, misdiagnosed as primary amyloidosis". Human pathology: Case Reports , Volume 8 , 1 – 2.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehpc.2016.10.005.  DOI: 10.1016/j.ehpc.2016.10.005  
Tobin-Vealey K, Jain S, Al Diffalha S, Sohn A, Henry E, Czerlanis C, Bhoopalam N. Use of Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography in the Diagnosis of Intravascular Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. Fed Pract. 2016 May;33(Suppl
4):32S-36S. 		 30766217 
Maryam Tahmasbi, Sameer Al Diffalha, Carolina M. Strosberg,a, Ramon Sandin,Masoumeh Ghayouri. “Duodenal toxoplasmosis in a bone marrow transplant patient: A rarecase report”.HumPathol case report..doi:10.1016/j.ehpc.2016.03.006  DOI: 10.1016/j.ehpc.2016.03.006  
Sameer Al Diffalha, Stefan E. Pambuccian, Ahmer V. Farooq, and Güliz A.Barkan,”IntratesticularAdenomatoid Tumor: A Case Report and Review of the Literature”.Final version published online: 17-JUN-2016. Full bibliographic details: Human Pathology: Case Reports (2016), pp. 13-17. DOI information: 10.1016/j.ehpc.2015.05.003  DOI: 10.1016/j.ehpc.2015.05.003  
Sameer Al Diffalha, Farah Khalil. “Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) of the Mediastinum and Thymus.” Molecular Pathology and Diagnostics of Cancer 2nd ed". Pages 141-151   
Woodlyne Roquiz, Sameer Al Diffalha and Ameet Kini "Leukocyte Development, Kinetics,and Functions" Rodak's Hematology" Clinical Principles and Applications, 5th ed.   
Arville B, Al Diffalha S, Mehrotra S. Cervical squamous cell carcinomametastatic to pericardial fluid--large cell balls masquerade as adenocarcinoma. DiagnCytopathol. 2015 Nov;43(11):912-5. doi: 10.1002/dc.23288. Epub 2015 May 5. PubMed PMID: 25940020.  25940020 
Belinda Sun, Shawn R. Lapetino, Sameer AI Diffalha, Sherri Yong, Ron C. Gaba, James TBui, Sean Koppe, Steven Garzon and Grace Guzman."Microvascular injury in antacidresistant persistent gastric ulcers following Yttrium-90 microsphere radioembolization forliver malignancies".HumPathol. 2016 Apr; 50:11-4. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2015.10.016. Epub 2015 Nov 11.  26997433 
Christina Kwong, Sameer Al Diffalha, Stefan Pambuccian and GulizBarkan. “Tracking
Changes in Major Discrepancies between Cytotechnologist and Cytopathologist in Gynecologic Cytopathology: An Observational Study of 2 Years. Journal of the Americansociety of cytopathology”.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasc.2014.09.180 		 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasc.2014.09.180