Omar Shakeel, MD

Department or Service
Location
- Texas Medical Center
Phone: 832-822-4242
Contact Information
Research Laboratory
Research Area
- Epidemiology (Cancer and Hematology)
Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine
Education
School | Education | Degree | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Baylor College of Medicine | fellowship | Pediatric Hematology-Oncology | 2020 |
Emory University School of Medicine | residency | Pediatrics | 2017 |
University of Central Florida College of Medicine | medical school | Doctor of Medicine | 2014 |
University of Florida | bachelors | Bachelor of Science, Microbiology and Cell Science | 2010 |
About
Dr. Omar Shakeel completed his pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship training in 2020. He is board certified in general pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Shakeel completed his undergraduate education at the University of Florida and later his medical education at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and residency at Emory University School of Medicine.
It is a humbling privilege to help carry and support patients and families through vulnerable times as well as have an opportunity to make a difference through new discoveries. I have interest in survivorship and evaluating late effect outcomes of treatment
Board Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics
Organization
Organization Name | Role |
---|---|
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) | Member |
American Board of Pediatrics | Member |
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) | Member |
American Society of Hematology (ASH) | Member |
American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) | Member |
Children's Oncology Group (COG) | Member |
Research Statement
Dr. Omar Shakeel's research interest includes better understanding the environmental determinants of pediatric cancers. The incidence of pediatric cancers has steadily increased since 1975, which could suggest that other exogenous factors are accounting for an increasing proportion of cases. There has been growing concern over environmental exposures (e.g., toxicants) on the development of pediatric cancers. Unfortunately, identifying environmental determinants of childhood cancer has been challenging because there are currently no existing biomarkers to measure how various exposures co-occur and jointly influence pediatric cancer risk. There is growing evidence that primary teeth serve as a stable repository for exposures during development and early childhood. This novel biomarker has the potential to uncover the etiological mechanisms of cancer types, bridge the gap of understanding gene-environment interactions on the development of pediatric cancers, and profoundly impact the discovery of preventative strategies. We plan to measure multiple exogenous and endogenous factors in tooth layers corresponding to specific life stages in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).