Stefan Hofer, MD, PhD, FRCSC

Clinician Investigator, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Cancer Clinical Research Unit (CCRU), Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9653-2946
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Dr. Hofer obtained his medical degree from the University of Amsterdam in 1992. He then completed his PhD in the Department of Surgical Research, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam. He obtained his board certification in Plastic Surgery from the Netherlands in 2000 and became the first Plastic Surgeon to be awarded the highly prestigious Dutch Cancer Society clinical fellowship, which funded his one-year Microsurgery Research fellowship at the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Dr. Hofer was an Associate Professor in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam and the Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Oncology from 2001 to 2007.

Dr. Hofer has been serving as the Division Head of Plastic Surgery at University Health Network and Mount Sinai Health System since 2007. He holds the Wharton Chair in Reconstructive Surgery and was the recipient of the Munk Reconstructive Surgery Innovation Fund to develop the Augmented Reality in Surgery Lab in collaboration with TECHNA at UHN. He is the immediate previous Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (JPRAS).

Dr. Hofer is internationally recognized for his outstanding contributions in the areas of clinical service, education, and research. His clinical practice is focused on oncologic reconstructive (micro)surgery with an emphasis on breast reconstruction, sarcoma and head & neck reconstruction.
  • Innovative Surgical Techniques
    My main clinical research interest is in the development, refinement and evaluation of innovative plastic and reconstructive surgical techniques for the face, head & neck and breast following oncology surgery. An example of the development and refinement of innovative flap procedures is the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap (DIEP) breast reconstruction technique, which involves dissection of the skin and fatty tissue in the abdomen to restore the breast mound while maintaining the integrity, function and strength of the donor abdominal site compared to other procedures.
  • Tissue Engineering
    While my clinical research focuses on technical improvements of reconstructive techniques, I am also involved in tissue engineering of adipose tissue and mucosa using living cells in artificial supporting scaffolds to replace missing tissues. This is a technology that uses the patients' own cells in the lab and transplants the engineered living tissue back into the body. We have developed a 3-dimensional tissue engineered mucosa substitute, which we use to study radiation effects. The ultimate goal of this research is to maximize the reconstructive outcomes and quality of life while minimizing the disability caused to the donor tissue sites.
  • Functional, Aesthetic and Quality of Life Outcomes
    I have a strong interest in the functional, aesthetic and quality of life outcomes after reconstructive surgery and have received grant funding for research projects investigating these outcomes. In addition, I am developing prospective, outcomes databases for Breast Restoration as well as Head & Neck Cancer Reconstruction at UHN.

Related Links

For a list of Dr. Hofer's publications, please visit PubMed or Scopus.

Clinician Investigator, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Cancer Clinical Research Unit (CCRU), Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Division Head, Division of Plastic Surgery, University Health Network
Wharton Chair in Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Toronto
Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Associate Member, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto