Salman Fazal, MD, a hematologist and stem cell transplant expert at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Harrisburg, has been named a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, marking his third consecutive year receiving this honor. Only 7 percent of the nation's licensed physicians are selected annually for this designation, which is based on peer nominations and a rigorous review by the physician-led Castle Connolly research team.
Dr. Fazal brings over 16 years of experience to his practice, focusing on complex malignant hematologic conditions such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), B- and T-cell lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. He specializes in high-risk, relapsed, and refractory disease, offering advanced therapies including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, cellular therapies, bispecific antibodies, and innovative targeted treatments. He leads the bispecific therapy program in Central Pennsylvania, providing options for patients when conventional treatments are no longer effective.
His leadership extends beyond patient care. As the former Director of the Cell Transplantation Program at Allegheny Health Network, he provided strategic oversight for allogeneic transplant and cellular therapy programs, including CAR-T therapies. He notably took over a transplant program with below-par survival rates and led its turnaround, performing nearly 200 allogeneic transplants and achieving survival rates that meet expected benchmarks. He also established a dedicated long-term follow-up clinic for transplant patients, offering access to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) clinical trials, and guided the program through successful FACT accreditation inspections over nine years.
Dr. Fazal's commitment to education is evident through his recognition as Teaching Faculty of the Year (2018–2019) by the Hematology Oncology Fellowship at Allegheny Health Network. 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 phase III clinical trials. His research on transplantation outcomes, GVHD, 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.
In addition to his clinical and academic roles, Dr. Fazal serves as a medical advisor and board member for the Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and was honored as an “MPN Hero” in 2025. He earned his medical degree from King Edward Medical College in Pakistan and completed his residency at Rosalind Franklin University/Chicago Medical School and Griffin Hospital, a Yale School of Medicine affiliate, followed by a fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital, where he was Chief Fellow. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology.
The Castle Connolly Top Doctor designation is awarded based on criteria including medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary histories. Doctors cannot pay to be selected. For more information, visit castleconnolly.com.
