Possible Rotation Projects:
- Acinar-to-beta cell transformation
- Pancreatic cancer-mediated diabetes
Training Technologies Used:
- Cryo-sectioning
- Immunostaining
- scRNA seq
- Cell culture
- Mouse surgery
- B.Sc. Molecular Biology, Umea University, Sweden, 1991-94
- Ph.D. Developmental Biology, Goteborg University, Sweden, 1994-2000
- Postdoc, Pancreatic Cancer, Johns Hopkins University, MD, 2001-2006
- Assistant Professor, Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, 2006-2015
- Associate Professor, Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, 2015-Present
Saleh, M., Alabyad, O., Tariq, M., Javanshir, H., Rajasundaram, D., Malekraeisi, M.A., Amini, S., Morikone, M., Sharma, K., Dahiya, S., Dhamothoran, V., Ting, Z., Pasca Di Magliano, M., Gittes, G.K., and Esni, F. (2026). cAMP Pathway Disruption Underlies Impaired Insulin Secretion in a Mouse Model of Human PDAC-Associated Diabetes. (In Review).
Dahiya S, Arbujas JR, Hajihassani A, Amini S, Wageley M, Gurbuz K, Ma Z, Copeland C, Saleh M, Gittes GK, Koo BK, DelGiorno KE, Esni F. (2026). The Stmn1-lineage contributes to acinar regeneration but not to neoplasia upon oncogenic Kras expression. CMGH, 20(5):101743
Dahiya, S., Saleh, M., Rodriguez, U.A., Rajasundaram, D., Arbujas, J.R., Hajihassani, A., Tang, K., Sehrawat, A., Kalsi, R., Yoshida, S., Prasadan, K., Lickert, H., Hu, J., Piganelli, J.D., Gittes, G.K., and Esni, F. (2024). Acinar to β-like cell conversion through inhibition of focal adhesion kinase. Nature Communications. May 3;15(1):3740. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47972-4.
Rodriguez, U.A., Dahiya, S., Raymond, L.M., Gao, C., Martins-Cargill, C.P., Piganelli, J.D., Gittes G.K., Hu, J., and Esni, F. (2022). Focal adhesion kinase-mediated signaling controls the onset of pancreatic cell differentiation. Development, 149(17):dev200761. doi: 10.1242/dev.200761.
Rodriguez, U.A., Socorro, M., K., Criscimanna, Martins, C.P, Mohammed, N., Hu, J., Prasadan, K., Gittes, G.K., and Esni, F. (2021). Alpha- to beta-cell conversion in the postpartum mouse pancreas involves lgr5 progeny. Diabetes, 70(7):1508-18.
Tandon, M., Coudriet, M.G., Criscimanna, A., Socorro, M., Eliliwi, M., Singhi, A.D., Cruz-Monserrate, Z., Bailey, P., Lotze, M.T., Zeh, H.Z., Hu, J., Goffin, V., Gittes, G.K., Biankin, A.V., and Esni, F. (2019). Prolactin promotes fibrosis and pancreatic cancer progression. Cancer Research, 79 (20):5316-5327.
Socorro, M., Criscimanna, A., Riva, P., Tandon, M., Prasadan, K., Guo, P., Humar, A., Husain, S.Z., Leach, S.D., Gittes, G.K., and Esni, F. (2017). Identification of newly committed pancreatic cells in the adult mouse pancreas. Sci. Rep. Dec 13;7(1):17539.
Criscimanna, A., Coudriet, G.M., Gittes, G.K., Piganelli, J.D., and Esni, F. (2014). Activated macrophages create lineage-specific microenvironments for pancreatic acinar- and β-cell regeneration in mice. Gastroenterology, 147:1106-1118.
Criscimanna, A., Duan, L.J., Rhodes, J.A., Fendrich, V., Wickline, E., Hartman, D.J., Monga, P.S., Lotze, M.T., Gittes G.K., Fong, G.H., and Esni F. (2013). PanIN-specific regulation of Wnt signaling by HIF2α during early pancreatic tumorigenesis. Cancer Research, 73 (15): 4781-90.
Criscimanna, A., Speicher, J.A., Houshmand, G., Shiota, C., Prasadan, K., Baoan, J., Logsdon, C., Gittes, G.K., and Esni F. (2011). Duct cells contribute to regeneration of endocrine and acinar cells following pancreatic damage in adult mice. Gastroenterology, 141:1451-1462.
My lab studies pancreatic regeneration and cancer, with a focus on the cross-talk between the endocrine and exocrine compartments during these processes. We are specifically interested in studying pancreatic cancer-induced diabetes and converting acinar cells into insulin-producing b-like cells.
