Salman Otoukesh, M.D.

(877) 460-4673
Salman Otoukesh, M.D.
Hematologist-Oncologist
Clinical Expertise
  • Hematology
  • Hematologic Malignancies
  • Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
  • Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
  • Acute Leukemias
Research Area
  • Myelofibrosis
  • Polycythemia Vera
  • Essential Thrombocythemia
  • Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
  • Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
  • Novel Treatment for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Including Targeted and Immunotherapies
  • Prevention and Treatment of Graft Versus Host Disease
Other Languages Spoken
Farsi
Academic Appointments
  • Assistant Professor, Division of Leukemia, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
  • Associate Program Director of Hematology/Oncology Fellowship (ACGME)
  • Co-Chair ClinicalPath CML, Adult Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, City of Hope, Duarte, California
  • Physician Leader for Duarte Ambulatory Leukemia Clinic (Triad Shared Leadership Model), Adult Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, City of Hope, Duarte, California
  • Director of Adult Post Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Survivorship program, Adult Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, City of Hope, Duarte, California
Clinical Teams
Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Leukemia
Research Teams
Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

I always carried within me the inspiration to help those most suffering to live lengthier and happier lives.

Salman Otoukesh, M.D., brings international stature and experience to his work at City of Hope. He is the former chief medical officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a post he held for two years in his native Iran.

Dr. Otoukesh specializes in the treatment of leukemia with added emphasis on the lifesaving potential of stem cell transplants. He relishes the challenges presented by this complex disease. “I enjoy thinking always out of the box to beat this disease in different ways,” he said, “and adding more hope on the treatment horizon.”

The bilingual (English/Farsi) Otoukesh received his medical degree from Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. After six years in practice in Iran, he arrived in the U.S. where he advanced his training at Texas Tech University of Health Sciences Center in El Paso, Texas, Loma Linda University Health in Loma Linda, California, and most recently, completing a fellowship in stem cell transplantation at City of Hope.

In caring for his patients, Dr. Otoukesh follows the example of his father, “a passionate clinician and researcher in taking care of children with renal diseases.” He is excited to be part of the City of Hope family and shares its “above and beyond” philosophy. “I am truly a believer of the connection between mind and soul during and after active cancer treatment,” he said, “and I found City of Hope exquisitely modeling this.”

Location

Education & Experience

Board Certifications

  • 2019, Hematology board Eligible
  • 2016, Diplomat in Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine
  • 2019, Diplomat in Medical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine

Fellowship

  • 2019–2020, Adult Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
  • 2016–2019, Hematology & Oncology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California

Residency

  • 2015–2016, Chief Resident, Texas Tech University of Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas
  • 2013–2016, Internal Medicine Resident, Texas Tech University of Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas

Professional Experience

  • 2020–present, Assistant Professor, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California

Awards & Memberships

Memberships

  • 2013, Current American College of Physicians
  • 2012, Current American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • 2012, Current American Society of Hematology
  • 2012, Current American Medical Association

Publications

  • Salhotra A, Yang D, Al Malki MM, Mokhtari S, Knobler D, Agarwal V, Sandhu K, Park G, Aribi A, Ali H, Aldoss I, Otoukesh S, Arslan S, Ball B, Koller P, Amanam I, Pourhassan H, Blackmon A, Becker P, Pullarkat V, Artz AS, Smith E, Marcucci G, Forman S, Stein A, Nakamura R. Long-term survival outcomes of allo-HCT in AML with fludarabine/melphalan conditioning and tacrolimus/sirolimus GVHD prophylaxis. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2026 Jan;61(1):82-91. doi: 10.1038/s41409-025-02738-4. Epub 2025 Nov 18. PMID: 41254192; PMCID: PMC12819140.
  • Amanam I, Otoukesh S, Pullarkat V, Forman S, Marcucci G, Al Malki M, Ali H. Myelofibrosis-associated extramedullary hematopoiesis: Insights into hepatic, pulmonary, and thrombotic complications. Blood Rev. 2025 Nov 28:101355. doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2025.101355. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41344966.
  • Tinajero J, Ngo D, Lee B, Kim H, Ball B, Koller P, Amanam I, Pourhassan H, Ali H, Otoukesh S, Salhotra A, Blackmon A, Sandhu K. FLAG-Ida-Venetoclax vs CLIA-venetoclax for relapsed and refractory AML during a fludarabine shortage: A single center experience. J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2025 Nov 20:10781552251396885. doi: 10.1177/10781552251396885. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41264473.
  • Otoukesh S, Amanam I, Yang D, Samuels D, Salhotra A, Artz A, Arslan S, Aldoss I, Sandhu K, Koller P, Aribi A, Curtin P, Stein A, Marcucci G, Al Malki M, Ali H, Rahmanuddin S, Nakamura R, Pullarkat V. Pulmonary manifestations during neutrophil engraftment in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for myelofibrosis. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2025 Dec;60(12):1666-1668. doi: 10.1038/s41409-025-02724-w. Epub 2025 Sep 24. PMID: 40993219.
  • Pourhassan H, Tinajero J, Ma H, Jackson R, Pillai R, Ngo D, Agrawal V, Koller P, Ball B, Blackmon A, Salhotra A, Al Malki M, Aribi A, Otoukesh S, Artz A, Becker P, Nakamura R, Stein A, Forman S, Marcucci G, Pullarkat V, Aldoss I. The efficacy of targeted and immune-based therapies in adults with TP53-mutated acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Br J Haematol. 2025 Oct;207(4):1377-1387. doi: 10.1111/bjh.20260. Epub 2025 Sep 1. PMID: 40890465.
  • Nguyen T, Markary T, Tsai NC, Tiemann K, Mokhtari S, Samara Y, Pourhassan H, Blackmon A, Arslan S, Otoukesh S, Agarwal V, Amanam I, Ball B, Koller P, Aribi A, Salhotra A, Sandhu K, Pullarkat V, Becker P, Aldoss I, Ali H, Stewart F, Smith E, Stein A, Marcucci G, Forman SJ, Artz A, Nakamura R, Al Malki MM. Outcomes after Melphalan-Based Reduced Intensity Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Renal Impairment. Transplant Cell Ther. 2025 Oct;31(10):824.e1-824.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.jtct.2025.07.001. Epub 2025 Jul 3. PMID: 40617293; PMCID: PMC12416212.
  • Ngo D, Tinajero J, Otoukesh S, Sandhu K, Ali H, Arslan S, Modi B, Amanam I, Nakamura R, Salhotra A. Role of ROCK2 inhibitors in the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2025 May;34(5):391-400. doi: 10.1080/13543784.2025.2510667. Epub 2025 May 25. PMID: 40407836.
  • Masarova L, Reeves BN, El Chaer F, Foltz L, Tashi T, Abu-Zeinah G, Lucas J, Halpern AB, Maze D, Qin A, Safah H, Lan F, O'Connell CL, Goel S, Rein L, Fang B, How J, Babu S, Li Z, Cerquozzi S, Oh ST, Hunter AM, Podoltsev N, Vachhani P, Yacoub A, Cunningham JM, Hillis C, Otoukesh S, Zagrijtschuk O, Castro H, Bose P. A multicenter study to assess efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft in patients with essential thrombocythemia in the US and Canada: EXCEED-ET trial. Front Med (Lausanne). 2025 Apr 17;12:1548590. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1548590. PMID: 40330782; PMCID: PMC12054645.
  • Samuels DT, Yao JM, Samara Y, Yang D, Mokhtari S, Tiemann K, Otoukesh S, Arslan S, Pourhassan H, Wu S, Blackmon A, Agrawal V, Amanam I, Ali H, Salhotra A, Aldoss I, Ball B, Koller P, Aribi A, Sandhu K, Pullarkat V, Artz A, Smith E, Stewart F, Becker P, Stein A, Marcucci G, Forman SJ, Nakamura R, Al Malki MM. Impact of hyperhydration on fluid overload and hematopoietic cell transplant after post-transplant cyclophosphamide-based graft-versus-host-disease prophylaxis. Front Immunol. 2025 Feb 20;16:1543099. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1543099. PMID: 40051639; PMCID: PMC11882550.
  • Koller PB, Othman T, Yang D, Mokhtari S, Samara Y, Blackmon A, Agrawal V, Pourhassan H, Ball BJ, Amanam I, Arslan S, Otoukesh S, Sandhu KS, Aldoss I, Ali H, Salhotra A, Aribi A, Artz A, Becker PS, Pullarkat V, Stewart FM, Smith EP, Stein A, Marcucci G, Forman SJ, Nakamura R, Al Malki MM. Melphalan-based conditioning with post-transplant cyclophosphamide for peripheral blood stem cell transplantation: donor effect. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2025 May;60(5):625-631. doi:1038/s41409-025-02523-3. Epub 2025 Feb 27. PMID: 40016513; PMCID: PMC12061766.

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings and reviews below are gathered from the Press Ganey Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG CAHPS) survey. CG CAHPS is a standardized survey that is used to measure a patient's experience in the physician office setting. Ratings are an average of all responses to questions about a provider's care, with five stars being the highest.
4.9
Recommend this provider office
4.9
Provider explain in way you understand
4.9
Provider listen carefully to you
4.9
Know important info medical history
4.9
Show respect for what you say
4.8
Rate provider 0-10
4.7
Spend enough time with you
03/29/26
Good - Verified patient
03/29/26
Good - Verified patient
03/08/26
Dr. O is very kind and caring along with his staff. - Verified patient
03/06/26
Everyone at City of Hope has been kind, friendly, happy and Wonderful. It's a Lovely atmosphere. - Verified patient
02/20/26
My doctor is the best. He understands my concerns and he explain everything to me. He Is very dedicated. After the transplant he is being very supportive of making sure I understand the processes and the progress of my recovery. He always asks me If I have any more questions before we finish with our meetings. I'm very happy with Dr Salman Otoukesh! - Verified patient