Marisa R Buchakjian, MD, PhD, FACS

Dr. Buchakjian is a surgical oncology and microvascular surgeon in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. She completed an MD/PhD at Duke University with graduate studies in Molecular Cancer Biology, and trained as a resident and T32 postdoc at the University of Iowa. After residency she joined the University of Michigan as a Head and Neck fellow, and then returned to the University of Iowa as faculty. She moved back to UM to join the Head and Neck Oncology Division in 2024. Dr. Buchakjian's clinical interests include oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, salivary, and skin cancers. She is trained in complex microvascular free tissue transfer as well as transoral robotic surgery. She is also a member of the Rogel Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Signaling and Tumor Microenvironment Program.

Dr. Buchakjian's research interests are centered around cellular signaling and molecular pathogenesis of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, with a focus on cancer cell invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and cellular metabolism. Her laboratory is currently characterizing a novel cell-based model of epithelialmesenchymal transition and is using this tool to examine modifiers of invasion, transcription factor expression, and differences in energy utilization. She has additional translational and clinical research interests focused on clinicopathologic predictors of cancer behavior and prognosis.