Amir A. Qamar, M.D.

Dr. Qamar obtained his medical degree from The Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan in 1997.  He completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire in 2002, followed by a fellowship in Gastroenterology at Yale University in 2005.  He joined the GI Division faculty in July, 2005.

Dr. Qamar’s clinical and research interests are in hepatology and liver transplantation.  During his fellowship, he participated in a research study that investigated the role of an adipokine, Leptin, and its ability to effect hepatic stellate cell survival. Hepatic stellate cells are the primary hepatic fibrogenic cells. He determined whether leptin protected hepatic stellate cells from apoptosis promoting an environment of increased hepatic fibrosis.  This is important in understanding the relationship between obesity and hepatic fibrosis.  He is currently involved in research project(s) that are focused on portal hypertension induced complications including hepatic encephalopathy, hypersplenism, variceal hemorrhage and endoscopic screening for gastroesophageal varices.