Part of UT Health San Antonio

Part of UT Health San Antonio

You are here

photo of Dr. Francisco Cigarroa in white coat orange stripped tie

Contact

210-567-5771

cigarroa@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Institutes & Centers

Research

Research profile

Clinical

Provider profile

Francisco G Cigarroa, M.D.

Acting Dean, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine

Professor of Surgery and Director, Alvarez Transplant Center

Malú & Carlos Alvarez Distinguished University Chair

Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa is a national renowned transplant surgeon. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Yale University and his medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He completed fellowships in pediatric surgery and transplant surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Cigarroa became a faculty member at UT Health San Antonio in 1995. He was part of a surgical team that performed the first split liver donor transplant between two recipients in Texas.

In 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Cigarroa to serve on the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science.

In 2009, Dr. Cigarroa became the first Hispanic to be named Chancellor of The University of Texas System. After five years, he returned full-time to his passion for patient care to perform Transplant Surgery, Pediatric and Adult Hepatic and Pancreatic Surgery.

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 1979 - BS - Biology - Yale University

    Pages

    Appointments

    • 1/2019 – Present - Director of University Transplant Center - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery & Organ Transplantation, San Antonio, TX
    • 1/2016 - Present - Director of Liver Transplantation Surgery - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery & Organ Transplantation,San Antonio, TXSan Antonio
    • 1/2016 - Present - Director of Tumor Bank of Transplant Center - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery & Organ Transplantation, San Antonio, TXSan Antonio
    • 1/2015 - 12/2020 - Ashbel Smith Professorship in Surgery - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery & Organ Transplantation, San Antonio, TXSan Antonio
    • 9/2015 - Present - Professor of Surgery: Cross Appointment - The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyBrownsville
    • 6/2015 - Present - Professor: Cross Appointment - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Cellular & Structural Biology, San Antonio, TXSan Antonio
    • 5/2015 - Present - Clayton Research Scholar - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan Antonio
    • 4/2015 - Present - Director of Pediatric Transplantation - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery & Organ Transplantation,San Antonio, TX, Transplant, San Antonio
    • 01/2016 - Present - Director of Liver Transplantation Surgery - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery & Organ Transplantation, San Antonio, TX
    • 01/2009 - 01/2015 - Chancellor - The University of Texas System, Austin, TX
    • 10/2000 - 1/2009 - President - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
    • 10/2000 - Present - Professor of Pediatric and Transplantation Surgery, and Pediatrics (Tenured) - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Surgery, San Antonio
    • 9/2000 – 10/2000 - Associate Professor (Tenure Track) - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of. Surgery, Division of General Surgery & Organ Transplantation, San Antonio, TX
    • 09/1999 - 10/2000 - Trauma Director - Christus Santa Rosa NorthwestSan Antonio
    • 12/1998 - Present - Medical Staff - Christus Santa Rosa Children's HospitalSan Antonio
    • 5/1998 - Present - Consultant - Methodist Children's HospitalSan Antonio
    • 5/1998 - Present - Medical Staff - Baptist Healthcare SystemSan Antonio
    • 3/1997 - 2015 - Medical Staff - Christus Santa Rosa HospitalSan Antonio
    • 08/1995 - 08/2000 - Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of. Surgery, Division of General Surgery & Organ Transplantation, San Antonio, TX

  • Instruction & Training

    • 06/1998 - 05/1999, SURG3005 Surgery Clerkship, Preceptor: Medical Sttudents, Undergraduate, Residents, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
    • 06/1995 - 05/1999, SURG3105 General Surgery Clerkship, Preceptor: Medical Students, Undergraduate, Residents, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
    • 01/1999-12/1999, Surgical Education: Surgical education for pediatric surgeons from Monterrey, Mexico, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
    • 06/1998 - 05/1999, Clinical Teaching: Operating room; Medical Students, Undergraduate, Residents, Christus Santa Rosa Northwest Hospital
    • 06/1997 - 05/1999, Clinical Teaching: ICU, wards; school/level: Medical students, undergraduate, residents, Christus Santa Rosa Northwest Hospital
    • 01/1997 - 10/2000, Surgical Conference: Director, Peditric Surgical Conference City-wide, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
    • 06/1995 - 05/1999, Clinical Teaching: ICU, wards: Medical Students, Undergraduate, Residents, University Hospital, San Antonio, TX
    • 06/1995 - 05/1999, Clinical Teaching: Clinic: Medical Students, Undergraduate, Residents, University Health Center - Downtown, San Antonio, TX

  • Research & Grants

    Research profile

    Grants

    Private

    Funding Agency Roche Title An open-label, prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter study assessing fixed dose vs concentration controlled cellcept regimens for patients following a single organ renal transplantation in combination with full dose and reduced dose calcineuri Status Active Period 4/2004 - Present Role Co-Investigator Grant Detail   Funding Agency Roche Title Mycophenolate mofetil in treatment of hepatitis C virus infection Status Complete Period 6/2002 - 1/2029 Role Co-Investigator Grant Detail  

  • Publications

      PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS

       

      ABSTRACTS

      • Bitar,R, Lopera, A, Merlo J, Cigarroa F, Phillips; Development of radiotherapeutic rhenium-188 liposomes in alginate microspheres (Rhe-LAMs) for treatment of liver tumors and technetium-99m liposomes in alginate microspheres (Tech-LAMs) for image-guided treatment planning. UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, ASCO Breaktrough, Oct 2019, Bangkok, Thailand.

      • Fritze D, Alkhouri N, Shah P, Rani M, Cigarroa R, Shah D. Lower Levels of Liver Transplants Despite Higher Waitlist Mortality in Pediatric Patients with Hypoalbuminemia; American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD); Boston, MA, 2019

      • Lopera J , Sun L, Cigarroa F et al.. Utility and safety pf large coaxial needle biopsy for biorepository tissue acquisition during MWA of HCC: initial experience in an US Hispanic population. Abstract JVIR 2019; 30 (3S) S83.

      • Hakim Bouamar, Kalyan Kakarla, Matyas Cserhati, Fatima Ezzahra El Mroussi, Francis E. Sharkey, Francisco Cigarroa, Lu-Zhe Sun. High iron or high fat diet show similar effects in inducing hepatocellular carcinoma in a mouse model. Abstract #2309, AACR 110th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 29 - Apr 3, 2019.

      • GuiXi Zheng, Carla R. Zeballos, Hakim Bouamar, Matyas F. Cserhati, Francisco G. Cigarroa, Lu-Zhe Sun. RNA interference reveals tumor-promoting roles of Integrin alpha 6 (ITGA6) in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Abstract #4642, AACR 110th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 29-April 3, 2019.

      • Cigarroa F, Lopera J, Sun L. Utility and safety of a large coaxial needle biopsy for biorepository tissue acquisition during MWA of HCC: initial experience in an US Hispanic population. Oral presentationAnnual SIR meeting 2019, Austin, Texas. March 23-27, 2019.

      • Carla R. Zeballos, Hakim Bouamar, GuiXi Zheng, Xiang Gu, Yidong Chen, Francisco G. Cigarroa, Lu-Zhe Sun. Hepatocellular carcinoma in the South Texas Latino population: Implications of STEAP2. Abstract #2424, AACR 109th Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, April 14-18, 2018.

      BOOK CHAPTERS

      • Fritze D, Cigarroa FG. Cholesdistal Cysts: Hepatic-Pancratico-Biliary and Transplant Surgery: Practical assignment of Dilemmas. Dec 2018.

      JOURNAL ARTICLES

      • Petrochko JM, Abrahamian G, Cigarroa F, Thomas E. Colonic mucormycosis in solid organ transplantation: Case report and review of the literature (colonic mucormycosis after DDLT) [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 8]. Transpl Infect Dis. 2020;e13362. doi:10.1111/tid.13362

      • Cantey JB, Dallas SD, Cigarroa FG, Quinn AF. Malassezia Hepatic Abscess in a Neonate [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 1]. Pediatr Infect Dis J.

      • Fritze, D, Singh, A, Lawitz, E. Kowdley, K, Halff, G, Cigarroa, FG, Klair, T, Lopez, R, Noureddin, M, Alkhouri, N0 Both Alcoholic and NonAlcoholic Steatohepatitis is an Emerging Indication for Liver Transplantation in the United States. Accepted for publication May 2020.

      • Liver Paired Exchange using compatible pairs-US single center experience.Accepted for publication in Annals of Surgery 2020.Klair, T, Halff GA, Speeg KV, Fritze D, Thomas E, Abrahamian GA, Cigarroa FG.

      • Cigarroa FG, Thomas E, Milton J: The Advancing American Kidney Health Executive Order. An Opportunity to Enhance Organ. JAMA. Published online Sept 20, 2019. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.14500

      • Singh A, Fritze D, Mansouri M, et al. Characteristics and Outcomes of Liver Transplantation for Primary Biliary Cholangitis in Young Patients: Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Database. Transplantation. 2019;103(6):1191-1198.

      • Bitar, RD, Lopera, J, Bao, A, Merlo J, Cigarroa, Phillips, W. Development of Novel Radiotherapeutic Rhenium-188/186 Liposomes in Alginate Microspheres (Rhe-LAMs) for Treatment of Liver Tumors and Technetium-99m Liposomes in Alginate Microspheres (Tech-LAMs) for Image-guided Treatment Planning. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.e15599 Journal of Clinical Oncology37, no. 15_suppl; 2019.

      • LJ Wang, C Zhang, S Su, HH Chen, C Chiu, Z Lai, H Bouamar, F Cigarroa, L Sun, Y Chen:An ancestral informative marker panel design for individual ancestry estimation of Hispanic of Hispanic population using whole exome sequencing data.Journal of Medical Informatics.Accepted.2019

      • A Singh, D Fritze, M Mansouri, R Lopez, F Poordad, E Lawitz, F Cigarroa, G Halff, N Alkhouri.Characteristics and Outfcomes of Liver Transplantation for PBC in Young Patients.Analysis of the UNOS Database.Transplantation. 2018

  • Clinical

    Provider profile

    Board Certifications

    • 1994 - American Board of Surgery/Pediatric Surgery
    • 1991 - American Board of Surgery