Assistant Professor
Areas of Interest
pediatric surgical oncology, pediatric solid tumors, minimally invasive neonatal and pediatric surgery
Biography
Dr. Laura Stafman joined the faculty of the UAB Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery in October 2023.
Dr. Stafman completed her undergraduate degree in neuroscience and Middle Eastern studies at Wellesley College. She received her medical education at University of Florida College of Medicine, graduating with an M.D. degree in 2013. Dr. Stafman completed a residency in general surgery at UAB. During this time, she obtained a Ph.D. in cancer biology with her dissertation on the topic of the effect of PIM kinases on hepatoblastoma. After finishing her general surgery training, she completed a pediatric surgical fellowship at Vanderbilt University. She is board-certified in General Surgery and Pediatric Surgery. Her interests include robotic and minimally invasive surgery, surgical oncology, hepatobiliary surgery, and neonatal surgery. She has a basic science laboratory with a focus on understanding the biology of pediatric solid tumors to help develop novel therapeutics.
Selected Publications
Evans PT, Stafman LL, Correa H, Shipe M, Lovvorn H, Robinson J. Submucosal angiogenesis in traction-induced esophageal lengthening for long-gap esophageal atresia: A case report. Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports. 2024, Nov; 110:102879.
French MP, Busing J, Acra S, Chen H, Stafman LL, Zamora I, Holzman M, Lovvorn HN 3rd. Effects of anterior fundoplication on postoperative dysphagia and reflux after laparoscopic esophagocardiomyotomy for pediatric achalasia. Journal of Laparoendoscopic and Advanced Surgical Techniques and Videoscopy. 2024, Apr; 34(6):535.
Kontchou NT, Amankwah E, Seidu I, Stafman LL, Zhao S, Abrahams AOD, Appeadu-Mensah W, Lovvorn HN 3rd, Renner LA. Current realities of Wilms tumor burden and therapy in Ghana. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2024, Mar; 16:S0022-3468(24)00184-2.
Light-Olson H, Niec JA, Zwaschka TA, WongG, Ragheb D, Oros J, Correa H, Lopez ME, Stafman LL, Lovvorn HN. Minimally invasive adnexa-sparing surgery for benign ovarian and paratubal masses in children. Journal or Pediatric Surgery. 2023, Apr; 58(4): 702.
Marayati R, Julson JR, Bownes LV, Quinn CH, Stafman LL, Beierle AM, Markert HR, Hutchins SC, Stewart JE, Crossman DK, Hjelmeland AB, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. PIM3 kinase promotes tumor metastasis in hepatoblastoma by upregulating cell surface expression of chemokine receptor cxcr4. Clinical & Experimental Metastasis. 2022, Dec; 39(6):899.
Julson JR, Marayati R, Beierle EA, Stafman LL. The Role of PIM Kinases in Pediatric Malignancies. Cancers. 2022, July; 14(15): 3565.
Hanna DN, Haddadin Z, Stafman LL, Godfrey CM, Huang EY, Aiello B, Greeno AL, Unni P, Lovvorn HN. Sledding while towed behind motorized vehicles associates with more severe and lethal injuries. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2022, Nov; 57(11): 644.
Marayati R, Stafman LL, Williams AP, Bownes LV, Quinn CH, Markert HR, Easlick JL, Stewart JE, Crossman DK, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of PIM3 suppresses tumorigenesis and cancer cell stemness in human hepatoblastoma cells. Cancer Gene Therapy. 2021, May; 29(5): 558.
Marayati R, Stafman LL, Williams AP, Bownes LV, Quinn CH, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoo KJ, Anderson JC, Willey CD, Beierle EA. PIM kinases mediate resistance to cisplatin chemotherapy in hepatoblastoma. Scientific Reports. 2021, Mar; 16(11): 5984.
Bownes LV, Williams AP, Marayati R, Stafman LL, Markert H, Quinn CH, Wadhwani N, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. EZH2 inhibition decreases neuroblastoma proliferation and in vivo tumor growth. PLoS One. 2021, Mar; 9(16): e0246244.
Marayati R, Bownes LV, Stafman LL, Williams AP, Quinn CH, Atigadda V, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Beierle EA. 9-cis-UAB30, a novel rexinoid agonist, decreases tumorigenicity and cancer cell stemness of human neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts. Translational Oncology. 2021, Jan; 14(1): 100893.
Aye JM, Stafman LL, Williams AP, Garner EF, Stewart JS, Anderson JC, Mruthyunjayappa S, Waldrop MG, Goolsby CD, Markert HR, Quinn CH, Marayati R, Mroczek-Musulman E, Willey CD, Yoon KJ, Whelan K, Beierle EA. The effects of focal adhesion kinase and platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta inhibition in a patient-derived xenograft model of primary and metastatic Wilms tumor. Oncotarget. 2019, Sep; 10(53): 5534.
Stafman LL*, Williams AP*, Marayati R, Aye JM, Markert HR, Garner EF, Quinn CH, Lallani SB, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Whelan K, Beierle EA. Focal adhesion kinase inhibition contributes to tumor cell survival and motility in patient-derived xenografls. Scientific Reports. 2019, Sep; 9(1): 13259.
Williams AP, Garner EF, Stafman LL, Aye JM, Quinn CH, Marayati R, Atigadda VR, Mroczek-Musulman E, Moore BP, Beierle EA. UAB30, a novel rexinoid agonist, decreases sternness in group 3 medulloblastoma human cell line xenografts. Translational Oncology. 2019, Jul; 12(10): 1364.
Stafman LL, Williams AP, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. PP2A activation alone and in combination with cisplatin decreases tumorigenicity in human hepatoblastoma. PLoS One. 2019, Apr; 14(4): e0214469.
Stafman LL, Waldrop MG, Williams AP, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Mroczek-Musulman E, Yoon KJ, Whelan K, Beierle EA. The presence of PIM3 increases hepatoblastoma tumorigenesis and tumor initiating cell phenotype and is associated with decreased patient survival. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2019, Jun; 54(6): 1206.
Stafman LL, Williams AP, Garner EF, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Whelan K, Beierle EA. Targeting PIM kinases affects maintenance of CD133 tumor cell population in hepatoblastoma. Translational Oncology. 2019, Feb; 12(2): 200.
Williams AP, Stewart JE, Stafman LL, Aye JM, Mroczek-Musulman E, Ren C, Yoon K, Whelan K, Beierle EA. Corruption of neuroblastoma patient derived xenografts with human T cell lymphoma. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2018, Oct; 54(10): 2117.
Williams AP*, Garner EF*, Waters AM, Stafman LL, Aye JM, Marker H, Stewart JE, Beierle EA. Investigation of PP2A and its endogenous inhibitors in neuroblastoma cell survival and tumor growth. Translational Oncology. 2019, Jan; 12(1): 84.
Garner EF, Stafman LL, Williams AP, Aye JM, Goolsby C, Atigadda VR, Moor BP, Nan L, Stewart JE, Hjelmeland AB, Friedman GK, Beierle EA. UAB30, a novel RXR. agonist, decreases tumorigenesis and leptomeningeal disease in group 3 medulloblastoma patient-derived xenografls. Neurooncology. 2018, Nov; 140(2): 209.
Stafman LL, Mruthyunjayappa S, Waters AM, Garner EF, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Whelan K, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. Targeting PIM kinase as a therapeutic strategy in human hepatoblastoma. Oncotarget. 2018, Apr; 9(32): 22665.
Garner EF, Williams AP, Stafman LL, Aye JM, Mroczek-Musulman E, Moore BP, Stewart JE, Friedman GK, Beierle EA. FTY720 decreases tumorigenesis in group 3 medulloblastoma patient-derived xenografls. Scientific Reports. 2018, May; 8(1): 6913.
Stafman LL, Maizlin II, Dellinger M, Gow KW, Goldfarb M, Nuchtern JG, Langer M, Vasudevan SA, Doski JJ, Goldin AB, Raval M, Beierle EA. Disparities in fertility-sparing surgery in adolescent and young women with stage I ovarian dysgerminoma. Journal of Surgical Research. 2018, Apr; 224(1): 39.
Bownes LV, Stafman LL, Maizlin IL Dellinger M, Gow KW, Goldin AB, Goldfarb M, Langer M, Raval Mv; Doski JJ, Nuchtern JG, Vasudevan SA, Beierle EA. Socioeconomic disparities affect survival in malignant ovarian germ cell tumors in AYA population. Journal of Surgical Research. 2018, Feb; 222(1): 180.
Waters AM, Stafman LL, Garner EF, Mruthyunjayappa S, Stewart JE, Friedman G, Coleman JM, Markert JM, Gillespie GY, Beierle EA. Effect of repeat dosing of engineered oncolytic herpes simplex virus on preclinical models of rhabdomyosarcoma. Translational Oncology. 2016, Oct; 9(5): 419.
Waters AM, Stafman LL, Garner EF, Mruthyunjayappa S, Stewart JE, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. Targeting focal adhesion kinase suppresses the malignant phenotype in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Translational Oncology. 2016, Aug; 9(4): 263.
Stafman LL, Beierle EA. Cell proliferation in neuroblastoma. Cancers. 2016, Jan; 8(1): El3.
Stafman LL, Gutwein LG, Ang DN. Use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in penetrating chest trauma. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2013, Oct; 146(4): 979.
Education
Medical School
University of Florida
Internship
University of Alabama at Birmingham
General Surgery
Residency
University of Alabama at Birmingham
General Surgery
Fellowship
Vanderbilt University
Pediatric Surgery Fellowship
Graduate School
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ph.D. in Cancer Biology
Contact
Campus Address
Lowder 300
Phone
Patient Appointments and Questions: (205) 638-9688
Academic Office: (205) 638-6253
Email
lstafman@uabmc.edu