David A. Pastel

Dartmouth College, Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

David A. Pastel is a surgical innovator at the forefront of head and neck oncology, with a focused research program dedicated to improving surgical training and outcomes through advanced simulation. His primary contributions lie in the development of realistic tumor phantoms—synthetic models that replicate the tissue characteristics of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Pastel’s landmark work, “Tumor phantom for training and research in transoral surgery” (2020, 8 citations), introduced a novel platform for practicing minimally invasive techniques such as transoral laser microsurgery and robotic surgery, addressing a critical gap in surgical education. Expanding on this, his “Development of a novel tumor phantom model” (2020, 2 citations) further refined these models for research applications, enabling deeper study of tumor tissue properties. Though early in citation impact, these contributions represent foundational tools for safer, more effective surgical training. Pastel’s work is particularly notable for bridging the gap between benchtop simulation and clinical readiness, offering residents and researchers a risk-free environment to master complex oncologic resections. His innovations promise to elevate the standard of care in head and neck surgery.