Salmaan Ahmed, M.D.
Department of Neuroradiology, Division of Diagnostic Imaging
About Dr. Ahmed
Salmaan Ahmed MD joined the MD Anderson faculty in 2007 after completing residency at the Baylor College of Medicine and Neuroradiology Fellowship at the Barrow Neurological Institute.
Since that time, Dr. Ahmed has over 30 presentations at national meetings, and has published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology and other peer reviewed journals. He is actively involved in several clinical research protocols for the treatment of head and neck cancers and brain tumors.
Dr. Ahmed’s clinical interests include thyroid nodule evaluation and thyroid cancer, with a focus on minimally invasive image-guided procedures. He has instructed workshops in Neck Ultrasound and Biopsy at the American Society of Head and Neck Radiology Meeting and at other conferences.
Dr. Ahmed is actively involved in teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows, and routinely lectures within and outside of MD Anderson. He is also a reviewer for several national journals.
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Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Neuroradiology, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Professor, Department of Neuroradiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Thyroid Cancer Head and Neck imaging
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2001 | University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, US, MD |
| 1996 | University of California, Los Angeles, California, US, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, BS |
Postgraduate Training
| 2006-2007 | Clinical Fellowship, Neuroradiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona |
| 2002-2006 | Clinical Residency, Diagnostic Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas |
| 2001-2002 | Clinical Internship, Transitional Internship Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas |
Board Certifications
| 2009 | Certificate of Added Qualification in Neuroradiology (American Board of Radiology) |
| 2006 | American Board of Radiology |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Director of Head & Neck Ultrasound Lecture Series, Department of Neuroradiology Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2023 - Present
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Organizer, Neuroradiology Visiting Professorship Series, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2023 - Present
Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Diagnostic Imaging Contrast Committee, 2018 - Present
Member, Endocrine Surgeon Recruitment Search Committee, 2018 - Present
Member, Division of Diagnostic Imaging Strategic Plan Functional Committee, 2014 - 2017
Co-Champion for Patient Access, Diagnostic Imaging Strategic Plan Committee, 2014 - 2017
Neuroradiology Representative, Maintenance of Certification Diagnostic Imaging Faculty Functional Committee, 2013 - 2016
Honors & Awards
| 2011 Paper Presentation Award, Asian Oceanian Congress of Neuroradiology | |
| Recognition for Act Project - Increasing Scheduling Efficiency of Ultrasound Guided Biopsies in Neurointerventional Radiology, Celebrating Improvement for The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | |
| Clinical Safety & Effectiveness Educational Program (Graduate), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Hamidi S, Dadu R, Zafereo M, Ferrarotto R, Wang J, Maniakas A, Gunn G, Lee A, Spiotto M, Iyer P, Sousa L, Akhave N, Ahmed S, Learned K, Lu C, Lai S, Williams M, Hosseini S, Busaidy N, Cabanillas M. Initial Management of BRAF V600E-Variant Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: The FAST Multidisciplinary Group Consensus Statement. JAMA Oncology 10(9):1264-1271, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38990526.
- Debnam JM, Chi TL, Kwon M, Sun J, Schellingerhout D, Golant BT, Ahmed S, Perrier ND, Vu T. Distinguishing Intrathyroid Parathyroid Adenoma from Colloid Nodules and Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas Using Multiphasic Multidetector Computed Tomography. J Comput Assist Tomogr 46(5):808-814, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36103680.
- Wildman-Tobriner B, Ahmed S, Erkanli A, Mazurowski MA, Hoang JK. Using the American College of Radiology thyroid imaging reporting and data system at the point of care: Sonographer performance and interobserver variability. Ultrasound Med Biol 46(8):1928-1933, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32507343.
- Vu TH, Kwon M, Ahmed S, Gule-Monroe M, Chen MM, Sun J, Fornage BD, Debnam JM, Edeiken-Monroe B. Diagnostic Accuracy and Scope of Intraoperative Transoral Ultrasound and Transoral Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration of Retropharyngeal Masses. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 40(11):1960-1964, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31582388.
- Debnam JM, Vu T, Sun J, Wei W, Krishnamurthy S, Zafereo ME, Weitzman SP, Garg N, Ahmed S. Vascular flow on doppler sonography may not be a valid characteristic to distinguish colloid nodules from papillary thyroid carcinoma even when accounting for nodular size. Gland Surg 8(5):461-468, 2019. PMID: 31741876.
- Wang JR, Zafereo ME, Dadu R, Ferrarotto R, Busaidy NL, Lu C, Ahmed S, Gule-Monroe MK, Williams MD, Sturgis EM, Goepfert RP, Gross ND, Lai SY, Gunn GB, Phan J, Rosenthal DI, Fuller CD, Morrison WH, Iyer P, Cabanillas ME. Complete surgical resection following neoadjuvant dabrafenib plus trametinib in BRAFV600E-Mutated Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma. Thyroid 29(8):1036-1043, 2019. PMID: 31319771.
- Ting J, Bell D, Ahmed S, Ying A, Waguespack SG, Tu SM, Weber R, Zafereo M. Primary malignant thyroid teratoma: an institutional experience. Thyroid 29(2):229-236, 2019. PMID: 30759052.
- Cabanillas ME, Ferrarotto R, Garden AS, Ahmed S, Busaidy NL, Dadu R, Williams MD, Skinner H, Gunn GB, Grosu H, Iyer P, Hofmann MC, Zafereo M. Neoadjuvant BRAF - and immune - directed therapy for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid 28(7):945-951, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29742974.
- Dextraze K, Saha A, Kim D, Narang S, Lehrer M, Rao A, Narang S, Rao D, Ahmed S, Madhugiri V, Fuller CD, Kim MM, Krishnan S, Rao G, Rao A. Spatial habitats from multiparametric MR imaging are associated with signaling pathway activities and survival in glioblastoma. Oncotarget 8(68):112992-113001, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29348883.
- Ahmed S, Ghazarian MP, Cabanillas ME, Zafereo ME, Williams MD, Vu T, Schomer DF, Debnam JM. Imaging of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29242360.
- Narang S, Kim D, Aithala S, Heimberger AB, Ahmed S, Rao D, Rao G, Rao A. Tumor image-derived texture features are associated with CD3 T-cell infiltration status in glioblastoma. Oncotarget 8(60):101244-101254, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29254160.
- Mahajan A, Wang X, Ahmed S, Mcaleer MF, Weinberg JS, Li J, Brown PD, Prabhu SS, Lang FF, McGovern SL, McCutcheon I, Sulman E, Heimberger A, Ferguson S, Ghia A, Guha-Thakurta N, Saway R, Rao G. Local Recurrence pattern of patients enrolled on a randomized study of post-operative stereotactic radiosurgery vs observation for completely resection. Neuro-Oncology 19(Suppl_6):Vi226-Vi226, 2017. PMID: None.
- Mahajan A, Ahmed S, McAleer MF, Weinberg JS, Li J, Brown P, Settle S, Prabhu SS, Lang FF, Levine N, McGovern S, Sulman E, McCutcheon IE, Azeem S, Cahill D, Tatsui C, Heimberger AB, Ferguson S, Ghia A, Demonte F, Raza S, Guha-Thakurta N, Yang J, Sawaya R, Hess KR, Rao G. Post-operative stereotactic radiosurgery versus observation for completely resected brain metastases: a single-centre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol 18(8):1040 – 1048, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28687375.
- Kumar VA, Esmaeli B, Ahmed S, Gogia B, Debnam JM, Ginsberg LE. Imaging features of malignant lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct tumors. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27418476.
- Garden AS, Gunn GB, Hessel A, Beadle BM, Ahmed S, El-Naggar AK, Fuller CD, Byers LA, Phan J, Frank SJ, Morrison WH, Kies MS, Rosenthal DI, Sturgis EM. Management of the lymph node-positive neck in the patient with human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer. Cancer 120(19):3082-8, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24898672.
- Ahmed S, Gupta N, Hamilton JD, Garden AS, Gidley PW, Ginsberg LE. CT findings in temporal bone osteoradionecrosis. J Comput Assist Tomogr 38(5):662-6, 2014. PMID: 24834883.
- Ahmed S, Hamilton J, Colen R, Schellingerhout D, Vu T, Rao G, McAleer MF, Mahajan A. Change in postsurgical cavity size within the first 30 days correlates with extent of surrounding edema: consequences for postoperative radiosurgery. J Comput Assist Tomogr 38(3):457-60, 2014. PMID: 24681852.
- Pickering CR, Shah K, Ahmed S, Rao A, Frederick MJ, Zhang J, Unruh AK, Wang J, Ginsberg LE, Kumar AJ, Myers JN, Hamilton JD. CT imaging correlates of genomic expression for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 34(9):1818-1822, 2013. PMID: 23764725.
- Hamilton JD, Ahmed S, Sandulache VC, Daram SP, Ow TJ, Skinner HD, Rao A, Ginsberg LE, Kumar AJ, Myers JN. Improving imaging diagnosis of persistent nodal metastases after definitive therapy for oropharyngeal carcinoma: specific signs for CT and best performance of combined criteria. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 34(8):1637-42, 2013. PMID: 23471023.
- Lee S, Skelton TS, Zheng F, Schwartz KA, Perrier ND, Lee JE, Bassett RL, Ahmed S, Krishnamurthy S, Busaidy NL, Grubbs EG. The biopsy proven benign thyroid nodule: is long-term follow-up necessary?. J Am Coll Surg 217(1):81-8; discussion 88-9, 2013. PMID: 23659946.
- Walker GV, Ahmed S, Allen P, Gidley PW, Woo SY, DeMonte F, Chang EL, Mahajan A. Radiation-induced middle ear and mastoid opacification in skull base tumors treated with radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 81(5):e819-823, 2011. PMID: 21277110.
- Vu TH, Guha-Thakurta N, Harrell RK, Ahmed S, Kumar AJ, Johnson VE, Perrier ND, Hamberg LM, Hunter GJ, Schellingerhout D. Imaging characteristics of hyperfunctioning parathyroid adenomas using multiphase multidetector computed tomography: a quantitative and qualitative approach. J Comput Assist Tomogr 35(5):560-567, 2011. PMID: 21926850.
Invited Articles
- Ahmed S, Debnam JM. Thyroid and Parathyroid Imaging. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 31(3):xiii-xiv, 2021. PMID: 34243875.
Other Articles
- Hutchings KR, Fritzhand SJ, Esmaeli B, Koka K, Zhao J, Ahmed S, Debnam JM Graves' Eye Disease: Clinical and Radiological Diagnosis. Biomedicines 11(2), 2023. PMID: 36830848.
- Cabanillas ME, Ahmed S, Wang JR Management of anaplastic and recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer: indications for surgical resection, molecular testing and systemic therapy. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 31(3):359-366, 2021. PMID: 34243870.
- Calle S, Choi J, Ahmed S, Bell D, Learned KO Imaging of the Thyroid: Practical Approach. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 31(3):265-284, 2021. PMID: 34243863.
- Chasen NN, Wang JR, Gan Q, Ahmed S Imaging of Cervical Lymph Nodes in Thyroid Cancer: Ultrasound and Computed Tomography. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 31(3):313-326, 2021. PMID: 34243866.
- Ahmed S, Shellock FG Magnetic resonance imaging safety: implications for cardiovascular patients. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 3(3):171-182, 2001. PMID: 11816614.
- Maniakas, A, Wilde, D, Hyde, E, Xu, L, Wang, J, Gross, N, Sturgis, E, Banuchi, V, Busaidy, N, Cabanillas, M, Iyer, P, Dadu, R, Waguespack, S, Hu, M, Gunn, B, Kwon M, Ahmed S, Williams, M, Zafereo, M Segmental Tracheal Resection for Thyroid Cancer: Perioperative Morbidity, Locoregional Control, and Survival. Thyroid None(None):None. PMID: None.
Abstracts
- Dadu R, Busaidy N, Ahmed S, Roy-Chowdhuri S, San Lucas F, Hong D, Wang J. NTRK Fusion-Positive Thyroid Carcinoma: From Diagnosis to Targeted Therapy. None None(None):None. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Abi Faraj C, Ahmed S, Debnam M. Survival Outcome Following Ventricle Entry During Resection of Supratentorial Glioblastoma. None None(None):None, 2023. PMID: None.
- Abi Faraj C, Strickland B, Suki D, Lin H, Debnam M, Ahmed S, Mayer R, Ferguson S, Prabhu S, Heimberger A, Rao G, Lang F, Sawaya R, McCutcheon I, Weinberg J. Ventricular Entry and Postoperative Leptomeningeal Disease after Resection of Supratentorial Glioblastoma. None None(None):None, 2023. PMID: None.
- Chen M, Gidley P, Ginsberg L, Ahmed S. Perineural tumor spread mimicking benign disease: contribution of radiology to diagnosis versus misdiagnosis. American Society of Neuroradiology 55th Annual Meeting, 2017. PMID: None.
- Ghazarian M, Ahmed S. Postpartum thyroiditis mimicking a primary thyroid neoplasm. American Society of Neuroradiology 55th Annual Meeting, 2017. PMID: None.
- Khan R, Chokr J, Choudhary G, Winegar B, Ahmed S. The other sinus cancers: a tour of the tumors not named squamous cell. American Society of Neuroradiology, 2017. PMID: None.
- Ahmed S, Ghazarian M. A rare presentation of metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer: cardiac metastases. American Society of Neuroradiology 55th Annual Meeting, 2017. PMID: None.
- Rao G, Li J, McAleer MF, McGovern S, Ghia AJ, Sulman EP, Brown P, Ferguson SD, Heimberger AB, Lang FF, McCutcheon IE, Prabhu S, Sawaya R, Weinberg J, Ahmed S, Luo D. Pattern of failure after resection followed by gamma knife radiosurgery to the surgical cavity. ISRS Congress 2017, 2017. PMID: None.
- Ahmed S, Ghazarian M, Vu T, Cabanillas M, Debnam M. Imaging of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. The American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting (#1521), 2016. PMID: None.
- Ahmed S, Khawja S, Vu T, Shah K, Liu P, Sturgis E, Stewart J, Ginsberg LE. Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy is useful in the evaluation of post-radiated lymph nodes in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. American Society of Head and Neck Radiology 43rd Annual Meeting Program, 2009. PMID: None.
Book Chapters
- Johnson JM, Gule-Monroe MK, Kwon M, Ahmed S, Schellingerhout D, Kumar V, Edeiken-Monroe BS, Debnam JM. Pattern recognition of benign and malignant thyroid nodules: ultrasound characteristics and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of thyroid nodules. In: Advanced Thyroid and Parathyroid Ultrasound. None. Springer International Publishing, 179-194, 2017.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Synthesizing image-derived heterogeneity with genomic measurements for assessing disease aggressiveness in lower grade gliomas |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-I |
| Title: | Discriminating relapse outcome in lower grade glioma with genomics & imaging |
| Funding Source: | American Cancer Society (ACS) |
| Role: | Consult |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified December 13, 2024