Rabie Shanti, DMD, MD

Professional Biography

Dr. Rabie Shanti holds a dual appointment in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Penn Dental Medicine, and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at Penn Medicine. Dr. Shanti sees patients at Pennsylvania Hospital and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he focuses on the evaluation and surgical treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, such as, benign tumors of the jaws (e.g., ameloblastoma, myxoma), malignant tumors of the jaws (e.g., osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma), oral (mouth) cancer, and oropharyngeal (throat) cancer. Dr. Shanti frequently evaluates and manages advanced inflammatory conditions of the jaws, such as, osteoradionecrosis, and medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw. Dr. Shanti’s clinical practice is also devoted to microvascular reconstructive surgery of the head and neck following oncologic surgery, radiation injury, or trauma. As an active head and neck surgeon in the Center for Head and Neck Cancer at the Abramson Cancer Center, Dr. Shanti works side by side with his colleagues from otorhinolaryngology/head and neck surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, oral medicine, maxillofacial prosthodontics, pathology, speech-language pathology, nutrition, nursing, social work, and appropriate surgical subspecialties to provide his patients with world-class care aimed at optimizing disease control while providing the highest level of aesthetic/functional outcomes.

Dr. Shanti earned his dental degree (D.M.D.), magna cum laude, from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and his medical degree (M.D.) from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He completed an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency at University Hospital/Rutgers University in Newark, NJ. Subsequently, he went on to complete a two-year clinical fellowship in Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery at Louisiana State University Health Sciences. He has also completed a two-year research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, which was sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

In addition to his clinical activities, Dr. Shanti is involved in both clinical and translational research efforts at Penn Dental Medicine that aim to enhance the efficacy of current treatment paradigms, as well as in the development of innovative treatment strategies for patients with benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck. In recognition of his research, he has received numerous honors and awards including the 2007 Daniel M. Laskin Award for the “most outstanding article published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.” Dr. Shanti and his research colleagues at Penn Dental Medicine were recently awarded two research grants from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation and Penn Dental Medicine to investigate the role of the adult stem cells in the development and progression of the most common benign tumor of the jaws, ameloblastoma.

Dr. Shanti frequently participates in the education of students and trainees throughout various schools and disciplines at the University of Pennsylvania on the diagnosis and management of oral cancer and jaw tumors, as well as, the role of microvascular reconstructive surgery for the reconstruction of complex defects of the head and neck. Dr. Shanti frequently participates in community-based educational events in order to increase awareness and early detection of cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

News/Media

Penn Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Driven by Desire to ‘Make Someone Whole Again’»