Hoosier Cancer Research Network highlights Pashtoon Kasi, MD, MS, a medical oncologist at Weil Cornell Medicine. Dr. Kasi is a member of the HCRN Gastrointestinal Clinical Trial Working Group.

Education Background

Dr. Kasi graduated medical school from the Aga Khan University (AKU) in Karachi, Pakistan. He completed his internship year in surgery at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and subsequently residency at the international scholars program (ISP) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. Kasi trained in hematology/oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and completed his post-doctoral master’s in basic sciences/clinical/translational sciences at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education.

Research Interests and Expertise 

Dr. Kasi’s research focuses is on gastrointestinal cancers and liquid biopsies. Within the umbrella of liquid biopsies, Dr. Kasi is working on research pertaining to circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) based testing, as well as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and beyond.

Additionally, Dr. Kasi is focusing on novel therapies and bringing clinical trials that are precision medicine based as options for patients with gastrointestinal cancers, as well as other cancers that may benefit from such an approach.

3 Interesting Facts about Dr. Kasi 

1. My entire family are doctors. My father is a biochemist and pathologist and my mom was first in anesthesia but then went on to do OB/GYN. My sister is a cardiologist and my brother is an infectious disease doc. My wife, though, is a telecommunications engineer. The dinner table talk inevitably revolves around patients/diseases/drugs/procedures, which as you can imagine, an engineer may not be too enthused about 😊
2. I almost became an engineer myself. I wanted to go to Aga Khan University for the medical school. But, I was not sure if I would get in and already received an offer from an engineering school. Not knowing if the medical school was going to take me, since it was very hard to get in, I joined the engineering school. I completed almost one semester before getting a offer from the medical school. I had 1 day to decide to stay and become an engineer, or jump ship and go to medical school. I am glad that I chose the latter given how much I enjoy my work with patients, research, clinical trials and medical education.
3. I am a squash (not the vegetable) enthusiast. It is similar to racquetball, but squash is better. Although currently, our 8 month old baby girl and our 5-year old boy dictate our schedule, and are the center of our universe. And we are more than joyous to have the family we have.

About Hoosier Cancer Research Network 

Hoosier Cancer Research Network (formerly known as Hoosier Oncology Group) conducts innovative cancer research in collaboration with academic and community physicians and scientists across the United States. The organization provides comprehensive clinical trial management and support, from conception through publication. Created in 1984 as a program of the Walther Cancer Institute, Hoosier Cancer Research Network became an independent nonprofit clinical research organization in 2007. Since its founding, Hoosier Cancer Research Network has conducted more than 230 trials in a variety of cancer types and supportive care, resulting in more than 350 publications. More than 9,000 subjects have participated in Hoosier Cancer Research Network clinical trials.