- October 17, 2025
Dr. Bohdan Pomahac Receives American Association of Plastic Surgeons Award
- March 20, 2025Source: YNHHS
Yale New Haven Hospital first to use robot for super microsurgery
- November 01, 2024
Do Face Transplants Work? Review of First 50, Globally, Says Yes
- May 06, 2024Source: Yale Medicine
Face Transplant: Yale Surgeon Finds His Work ‘Profound’
The Pomahac Laboratory
The Pomahac Laboratory at Yale School of Medicine, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, advances reconstructive transplantation through translational research in vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA), with a particular focus on face and upper-extremity transplantation. Our goal is to improve the safety, function, and long-term survival of complex tissue allografts and expand reconstructive options for patients with devastating facial and limb injuries.
Our research spans the full transplantation continuum, from tissue preservation to immune responses and long-term graft outcomes. We investigate ex vivo perfusion and preservation strategies using preclinical models to better understand ischemia-reperfusion injury, vascular and endothelial function, tissue viability, and opportunities for targeted therapeutic intervention before transplantation. These platforms also provide a unique environment for studying and modifying the graft prior to implantation.
A major focus of the laboratory is understanding acute and chronic rejection in VCA. Our work explores the cellular and molecular mechanisms of alloimmune injury, transplant vasculopathy, inflammation, fibrosis, and tissue-specific responses, as well as biomarkers that may enable earlier and more precise detection of graft injury.
By integrating transplantation immunology, microsurgery, experimental perfusion, preclinical models, and clinical outcomes research, we aim to translate mechanistic discoveries into strategies that improve graft preservation, reduce rejection, minimize treatment burden, and enhance long-term functional outcomes after reconstructive transplantation.
About Us
The Pomahac Laboratory at Yale School of Medicine is a multidisciplinary research group focused on advancing reconstructive transplantation and vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA). Our work brings together plastic and reconstructive surgery, transplantation immunology, microsurgery, tissue preservation, bioengineering, and translational science to address the major challenges limiting long-term success after face and extremity transplantation.
Led by Bohdan Pomahac, MD, the laboratory builds on extensive clinical and research experience in reconstructive transplantation. Our overarching goal is to develop strategies that make VCA safer, more predictable, and more durable while advancing our understanding of the unique biology of transplanted composite tissues.