Dr. Nora Katabi, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States
Dr. Nora Katabi is a distinguished Associate Member and Attending Pathologist at Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases (MSKCC), with a specialization in oncologic surgical pathology. She earned her M.D. from Damascus University in 1997 and completed her residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Baylor University Medical Center, followed by a prestigious fellowship at MSKCC. Her research focuses on histopathologic and molecular characterization of salivary gland tumors and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, with multiple funded projects and IRB-approved studies. As Principal Investigator, she has led groundbreaking studies on NR4A3 abnormalities and polymorphous adenocarcinomas. A committed educator, she has served as Associate Program Director of the surgical pathology fellowship since 2017. Dr. Katabi is an editorial board member for Head and Neck Pathology and Cancers, and an active contributor to global pathology standards. Her leadership and scholarship make her a leading figure in diagnostic and translational pathology.
Publication Profile
Scopus
Educational and Postdoctoral Training Background
Dr. Nora Katabi earned her M.D. from the Damascus University School of Medicine, Syria, in 1997, laying the foundation for her distinguished career in pathology. She pursued several externships to broaden her clinical exposure and research skills, including cardiovascular training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University (1997–1998), and cancer cytogenetics at Wayne State University, Detroit (1998–1999). Further training in internal medicine and ambulatory cardiology was completed at Detroit Medical Center (1999–2000). Dr. Katabi began her residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas (2000–2005), where she also served as Chief Resident during her final year. She went on to complete a highly specialized fellowship in Oncologic Surgical Pathology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (2005–2006). This rigorous academic and clinical trajectory equipped Dr. Katabi with a robust foundation for her impactful contributions in oncologic pathology and academic medicine.
Professional Positions and Employment
Dr. Nora Katabi has held a series of progressive academic and clinical positions at the Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases. She began her tenure as Instructor and Chief Fellow from July 2006 to June 2008, followed by a continued appointment as Instructor until June 2008. Dr. Katabi was then appointed Assistant Member (Level 1) from July 2008 to October 2011, before being promoted to Assistant Member, a role she held until December 2016. Since then, she has served as an Associate Member, a position she currently maintains. In parallel with her academic appointments, Dr. Katabi has also served in critical clinical roles. She was appointed Assistant Attending Pathologist (Level 1) from July 2008 to October 2011, then Assistant Attending Pathologist until December 2016. Currently, she holds the title of Associate Attending Pathologist, a role she has served in since December 2016, reflecting her expertise and leadership in oncologic surgical pathology.
Licensure and Board Certification
Dr. Nora Katabi is a board-certified pathologist with licensure to practice medicine in multiple states. She obtained her New York medical license (License No. 236757) on June 29, 2005, which remained valid through December 29, 2022. Additionally, she secured a medical license in New Jersey (License No. 25MA11182900) issued on July 7, 2021, with an expiration date of June 30, 2023. Dr. Katabi also holds a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number 107354826. Her professional credentials are further solidified through board certification by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. She was officially certified on August 11, 2005, under Certificate No. 05-177. This certification reflects her comprehensive training, dedication to pathology, and adherence to the highest standards of clinical practice in diagnostic medicine. Dr. Katabi’s licensure and board status underscore her qualifications and longstanding commitment to excellence in medical pathology.
Dr. Nora Katabi’s research is primarily focused on head and neck pathology, with a particular emphasis on salivary gland tumors. Her work spans a comprehensive spectrum of low- to high-grade neoplasms, exploring their histologic, molecular, and clinicopathologic features. She has investigated the incidence and outcomes of nodal metastasis in low-grade salivary gland carcinomas, the diagnostic implications of molecular profiling in polymorphous adenocarcinomas, and the aggressive behavior of adenoid cystic carcinomas. Dr. Katabi’s contributions include evaluating tumor grading systems, identifying novel gene fusions in challenging carcinomas, and applying immunohistochemistry in the differential diagnosis of oncocytic and Warthin-like tumors. Her research integrates translational approaches, including RNA sequencing and morphologic analyses, to improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic strategies. Additionally, she has explored the prognostic factors in epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma and examined active surveillance in pleomorphic adenomas. Collectively, her work advances understanding of rare head and neck malignancies, emphasizing precision diagnostics and improved patient management.
Publication Top Notes
-
“Nodal Metastasis in Low Grade Salivary Gland Carcinoma” – Head and Neck Pathology, 2025 | 📅 2025
-
“Comprehensive Evaluation of Polymorphous Adenocarcinoma with 2-Tiered Grading” – Modern Pathology, 2025 | 📅 2025
-
“Sympathetic Axonogenesis Promotes Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Progression” – Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2025 | 📅 2025
-
“Long-Term Results of EBRT ± Chemotherapy in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer” – Thyroid, 2025 | 📅 2025
-
“Targeted RNA Sequencing in Head and Neck Carcinomas” – Histopathology, 2025 | 📅 2025 | 📑 1 citation | 🧬📊
-
“Active Surveillance for Pleomorphic Adenomas of the Parotid” – Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2025 | 📅 2025
-
“Histologic Predictors in Epithelial-Myoepithelial Carcinoma (EMC)” – Virchows Archiv, 2025 | 📅 2025
-
“Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Oral Cavity SCC” – JAMA Otolaryngology, 2025 | 📅 2025
-
“Phase 2 Trial of Regorafenib in Recurrent Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma” – Clinical Cancer Research, 2024 | 📅 2024
-
“BSND Immunohistochemistry in Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Diagnosis” – Head and Neck Pathology, 2024 | 📅 2024 | 📑 1 citation | 🧫🔬