Suresh Mohan, MD

(415) 353-9500

My Philosophy

Suresh Mohan, MDOur faces facilitate meaningful connection to the people in our lives. Thoughts, emotions, and intents are conveyed through our facial expressions. Some even believe that our faces are a window into our souls. I was drawn to facial plastic and reconstructive surgery because of how impactful the smallest details of our face can be in perceptions of ourselves and interactions with others. I see the opportunity to reconstruct or rejuvenate these facial features as a way to bring new confidence and contentment into the lives of my patients. After seven years of surgical and research training at Harvard, I bring a unique perspective of a scientifically focused approach to the art of restoring facial symmetry and innate beauty. I aim to be a surgeon that listens to my patients, provides them with an objective array of options for their concerns, and builds relationships based on mutual respect and trust.

-Suresh Mohan, MD

 

 

Training and Experience

Hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dr. Mohan received his B.S. from the University of Michigan with concentrations in music and cell & molecular biology. He earned a medical degree at Brown University and completed a one-year research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health investigating novel small molecule inhibitors for head and neck cancer. He then completed a seven-year research track residency at Mass Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School where his research was focused on understanding the Schwann cell response to nerve injury as applicable to clinical management of facial palsy under mentorship of Drs. Nate Jowett and Tessa Hadlock. Currently, he is completing a fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UCSF. His clinical interests include facial paralysis, free tissue transfer for head and neck cancer reconstruction, rhinoplasty, Mohs reconstruction, facial trauma, and treatment of the aging face.

Honors and Awards

Dr. Mohan has won several awards for his research and teaching. As a resident, he secured grant funding totaling nearly $200K from sources including the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Plastic Surgery Foundation, American Society for Peripheral Nerve, and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. As chief resident at Harvard, he received the Jeffrey P. Harris MD, PhD Research Award, and the coveted OHNS Chief Resident teaching award. 

Research and Innovation

Dr. Mohan has over 30 peer-reviewed publications to date and serves as a reviewer for multiple prominent journals in Otolaryngology. His research interest is in how Schwann cells within nerves respond to injury. Schwann cells are the supportive cells for neurons in the peripheral nervous system. When nerves are injured, Schwann cells take on a repair identity to help regenerate axons. However, the gene expression changes that facilitate this transformation are incompletely understood. Dr. Mohan and his team utilized cutting edge single-cell RNA sequencing techniques to better clarify these gene expression changes in Schwann cells after injury with the eventual goal of identifying potential gene therapy targets to improve outcomes of peripheral nerve surgical procedures. The work has been presented at national meetings, recognized with multiple foundation and federal grant awards, and is currently nearing publication.

Personal

In his spare time, Suresh is a connoisseur of the performing arts, instagram husband, inconsistent runner, and vegetarian foodie. He, his wife, and their young daughter live in San Francisco.

Selected Publications

  • Mohan S, Tenney A, Nguyen H, Zhuo Z, Pratt B, Collins T, Ho Sui S, Hadlock T, Jowett N, Engle EC. Characterizing the Schwann cell response to facial nerve injury with single-cell RNA sequencing. 2022. (Manuscript under preparation)
  • Hernández IC, Mohan S, Jowett N. Super-Resolved Fluorescence Imaging of Peripheral Nerve. Scientific Reports. 2022. (In press)      
  • Di Gioia SA, Tenney AP, Garnai SJ, Kosicki M, Robson CD, Barry BJ, Zhang Z, Chan W, Collins TE, Gelber A, Pratt BM, Varshney A, Lek M, Ryzin CV, Facio FM, Lehky TJ, Zalewski C, King KA, Brewer CC, Thurm A, Snow J, Narisu N, Bonnycastle LL, Swift A, Chines PS, Bell JL, Mohan S, Whitman MC, Staffieri SE, Elder JE, Demer JL, Torres A, Rachid E, Al-Haddad C, Boustany R, Mackey DA, Parker SC, Hadlock TA, Jabs EW, Collins FS, Webb BD, Pennacchio LA, Manoli I, Engle EC. Non-coding variants altering a conserved cis-regulatory element cause dominant hereditary congenital facial palsy. Nature Genetics. 2022. (Under review)  
  • Hernández IC, Mohan S, Jowett N. Automated Stain-Free Histomorphometry of Peripheral Nerve by Contrast-Enhancing Techniques and Artificial Intelligence. J Neurosci Methods. 2022 Jun 1;375:109598.   
  • Bartholomew RA, Mohan S, Keamy DG. Infected Septal Hematoma. J Pediatr. 2022 Feb;241:260-261.   
  • Mohan S, Workman A, Barshak M, Welling DB, Abdul-Aziz D. Considerations in management of acute otitis media in the COVID-19 era. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2020 Sep 10:3489420958443.    
  • Hernández IC, Yang W, Mohan S, Jowett N. Label-free Imaging of Human Peripheral Nerve by Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy. Muscle Nerve. 2020 Jul;62(1):137-142.     
  • Mohan S, Jowett N. Motor and Sensory Rehabilitation of the Lower Lip. Op Tech Oto. 31, 45–54 (2020).  
  • Guarin DL, Dusseldorp JR, Mohan S, Tavares J, Van Veen M, Fortier E, Hadlock TA, Jowett N. Toward an Automatic System for Computer-Aided Assessment in Facial Palsy. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2020 Jan/Feb;22(1):42-49. 
  • Malka R, Guarin DL, Mohan S, Hernández IC, Gorelik P, Mazor O, Hadlock TA, Jowett N. Implantable Wireless Device for Study of Entrapment Neuropathy. J Neurosci Methods. 2020 Jan 1;329:108461.   
  • Mohan S, Hernández IC, Selig MK, Shibata S, Jowett N. Stain-Free Resolution of Unmyelinated Axons in Transgenic Mice using Fluorescence Microscopy. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2019 Dec 1;78(12):1178-1180.   
  • Dusseldorp JR, Van Veen M, Mohan S, Hadlock TA. Outcome Tracking in Facial Palsy. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2018 Dec;51(6):1033-1050.    
  • Mohan S, Hernández IC, Wang W, Yin K, Sundback CA, Wegst UGK, Jowett N. Fluorescent reporter mice for nerve guidance conduit assessment: A high-throughput in vivo model. Laryngoscope. 2018 Nov;128(11):E386-E392.     
  • Greene JJ, Tavares J, Mohan S, Jowett N, Hadlock TA. Long-Term Outcomes of Free Gracilis Muscle Transfer for Smile Reanimation in Children. J Pediatr. 2018 Nov;202:279-284.e2.     
  • Mohan S, Fuller JC, Ford SF, Lindsay RW. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of Nasal Airway Obstruction: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment. JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2018 Sep 1;20(5):409-418.     
  • Mohan S, Vander Broek RJ, Shah S, Eytan DF, Pierce ML, Carlson SG, Chen Z, Van Waes C. MEK inhibitor PD-0325901 overcomes resistance to PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PF-5212384 and potentiates anti-tumor effects in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2015 Sep 1;21(17):3946-56. 
  • Mohan S, Flis DW, O'Leary MA. A Case of Trigeminocardiac Reflex During Infrastructure Maxillectomy. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;140(6):563-564.   
  • Vander Broek R, Mohan S, Eytan DF, Chen Z, Van Waes C. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in head and neck cancer: functions, aberrations, crosstalk, and therapies. Oral Dis. 2013 Nov 12;53.  

Invited Speaking Engagements

  • Characterizing the Schwann cell response to facial nerve injury with single-cell RNA sequencing. (International Facial Nerve Symposium (Virtual), Seoul, South Korea) 28 Apr 2022.
  • Selective Denervation. (New England Otolaryngological Society, Virtual Spring Meeting) 16 Apr 2021.
  • Characterizing Schwann cell transcriptional states in peripheral nerve regeneration with single-cell RNA sequencing. (American Society for Peripheral Nerve, Ft Lauderdale, FL) 10 Jan 2020.
  • Layperson and Artificial Intelligence Assessed Emotion in Facial Palsy. (Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings: AAFPRS, Austin, TX) 1 May 2019.
  • Novel Transgenic Murine Model for Study of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration (American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA) 8 Oct 2018.
  • A High-Throughput Platform for Nerve Conduit Assessment. (Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings: The Triological Society, National Harbor, MD) 20 Apr 2018.