Shehzad S. Merchant MD
Shehzad S. Merchant
MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Infectious Disease; Infectious Diseases; Internal Medicine
Contact Information
Patient Care
Patient Care
This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.
Find this physician on UBMDProfessional Summary:
I primarily provide in-patient consultations for patients admitted at the Buffalo General Medical Center (BGMC) and Gates Vascular Institute (GVI).
I enjoy teaching medical students, residents, and fellows on inpatient consultation service at BGMC and GVI; consultations may be called by a medical or a surgical service. Medical services include General Internal Medicine or one of the medical specialties (Cardiology, Pulmonary, Nephrology, Oncology, etc.), Neurology, Family medicine and Rehab medicine. Surgical services include General Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, Bariatric surgery, Cardiothoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic and hand surgery, Vascular surgery, Plastic surgery and Urology. I also provide consultations to all ICUs, including Medical and Surgical ICUs as well as Neurosurgical and Cardiothoracic ICUs. This spectrum of consultations allows for a broad variety of patients, which provides fellows, residents and fourth year students a diverse intellectual experience during their rotation.
I see patients with 4th year Medical Students, Residents and Fellows and discuss cases with them. Also, I provide intermittent Grand Rounds to the Internal Medicine Residency Program. During my off-service time, I enjoy writing case reports with the Medicine Residents and ID Fellows to help enrich Medical Literature on unique cases.
I am also the Director of the Anti-microbial Stewardship (AMS) program at BGMC and GVI. In this role, and in collaboration with the pharmacy department. I am responsible for providing an overview to the antimicrobial use at these institutions. The aim of the AMS program is to help provide to the different specialties a better understanding of appropriate use of antibiotics and to adjust or de-escalate antibiotics whenever it is deemed appropriate. Our goals are to reduce nosocomial infections like Clostridium difficile, reduce colonization/infection with multi-drug resistant organisms and decrease the length of hospital stay whenever possible. I also am involved in Quality Control Projects usually related to my keen interest in the Anti-microbial Stewardship Program.
Education and Training:
- Fellowship, Infectious Disease, Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester (2006)
- Residency, Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center (2004)
- Internship, Internal Medicine, Rochester General Hospital, University of Rochester (2002)
- MD, Medical School, Aga Khan University Medical College (AKUMC) (1999)
Employment:
- Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, BGMC (2010-present)
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2010-present)
Awards and Honors:
- WNY Top Doctors 2025 (2025)
- Specialty Teaching Award (2024)
- WNY Top Doctors 2024 (2024)
- WNY Top Doctors 2023 (2023)
- Top Doctors 2022 (2022)
- Second prize-case reports- Second Department of Medicine Research Day- May 31, 2014 (2014)
- Second prize-case reports- First Department of Medicine Research Day- June 1, 2013 (2013)
- WNYHSP- Practitioner Award (2013)
- Buffalo Business First- Healthcare 50 (2013)
- Specialty Teaching Award, (2008)
Journal Articles:
- El-Atoum, Mohammad, Hargarten JC, Park YD, Ssebambulidde K, Ding L, Chittiboina P, Hammoud DA, Anjum S, Glassman S, Merchant SS, Williamsono P, Hu J. (2023) Persistent neurological symptoms and elevated intracranial pressures in a previously healthy host with cryptococcal meningitis. BMC Infect Dis (Jun), 1(23): 407. doi:10.1186/s12879-023-08349-y
- Trivedi GR, Merchant SS. (2024) Corynebacterium striatum: A true Pathogen in Chronic Contiguous osteomyelitis. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol (Feb)(2) doi:10.1155/2024/5020721
- Leon Varjabedian, Shehzad Merchant, Melissa Danek. (2015) Advanced systolic heart failure and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection: Proposed immunologic mechanism, diagnostic dilemma and treatment considerations. Case reports in Internal Medicine (Jun), 2(3): 89-96. doi:DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/crim.v2n3p89
- Vabi BW, Singh R, Gibbs JF, Paterson J, Merchant S. (2015) The dormant virus: a rare case of herpes simplex virus hemorrhagic necrotizing enterocolitis. Am Surg 2015 Apr;81(4):E138-40. (Apr), 4(81): 138-40.
- Gupta S, Merchant SS. (2012) Lemierre's Syndrome: Rare, but Life Threatening-A Case Report with Streptococcus intermedius. Case Report Med (Nov), 2012: 624065-624065.
- Merchant S, Reichman R, Koval CE. (2007) Rhinocerebral zygomycosis in an HIV-infected man during therapy with an investigational CCR5 inhibitor. AIDS (Jul), 21(12): 1666-1669.
- Merchant S S & Falsey A. (2002) Staphylococcus aureus cholecystitis: A report of three cases with review of the literature. Yale J Biol Med (Jan), 75(5-6): 285-291.
- Lee A, Moretti ME, Collantes A, Chong D, Mazzotta P, Koren G, Merchant SS, Ito S. (2000) Choice of breastfeeding and physicians' advice: a cohort study of women receiving propylthiouracil. Pediatrics (Jul), 106(1 Pt): 27-30.
- Merchant AT, Lalani I, Afridi ZH, Latif N, Malik TA, Merchant SS, Momin IA, Moizuddin SS, Motiei A, Motiwala S, Munir A, Sethi AK. (2000) What is the effect of riskshaw noise on its driver?. J Pak Med Assoc (Apr), 50(4): 124-128.
- Karim RM, Khawaja HA, Naz S, Merchant SS, Momin IA, Lalani I, Sewani AA, Akhtar S, Ahmed A. (1999) Q wave and non-Q wave myocardial infarction: a multivariate analysis of survival experience and clinical outcome after first diagnosis at a tertiary care hospital. J Pak Med Assoc (Jun), 49(6): 149-154.
- Karim RM, Momin IA, Lalani II, Merchant SS, Sewani AA, Hassan BS, Mahmood N. (1999) Aspiration pneumonia in pediatric age group: etiology, predisposing factors and clinical outcome. J Pak Med Assoc (Apr), 49(4): 105-108.
- Merchant SS, Momin, I. A., Sewani, A. A., Zuberi, N. F. (1999) Effect of prepregnancy Body Mass Index and gestational weight gain on birth weight. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association (Jan), 49(1): 23-25.
Professional Memberships:
- Member of the American College of Physicians (ACP)
- Member of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA)
Presentations:
- "Pott's Disease diagnosis and management and a review of drug toxicities. Also reviewed data on disc aspiration versus vertebral end plate biopsy, optimal duration of antibiotic-free days before IR-guided biopsies are performed for native vertebral osteomyelitis/discitis" Clinical conference (2026)
- "Different VZV Manifestations and the role for Shingrix" Clinical conference (2025)
- "Endocarditis caused by Cutibacterium avidans and other Cutibacterium species" Clinical COnference (2025)
- "CIEDI- Infections of the cardiac device" Grand Rounds (2025)
Service Activities:
- In supervising Medicine, Fam Medicine and Pharmacy students and residents and ID Fellows, I am constantly involved in Clinical mentorship and trying to teach important aspects of ID to future Hospitalists, ID Physicians and other Specialties (as the knowledge learnt in ID crosses over multiple Medical and Surgical specialties); Clinical mentor (2010–present)
- With my Duties in Antimicrobial Stewardship, I also play the role in reducing resistance rates, lowering C Diff rates and try to preserve sustained antimicrobial effects of Abx therapy which can have a significant impact on the patient population as a whole; Director Of Antimicrobial Stewardship (2010–present)
- As my role in Antimicrobial Stewardship, I am trying to reduce resistance rates, reduce C Diff, and streamline appropriate Antibiotic administration within Buffalo General and GVI Hospitals. IN doing so, I am also constantly teaching Medical and Pharmacy students, residents and fellows; Director- Antimicrobial Stewardship Service (2010–present)
- By being constantly available to teach Medicine and Pharmacy students and residents rotating on clinical service as well as the consulting teams, and constantly providing reading literature in trying to practice Evidence Based Medicine, I try to be an Asset for the University in treating to create better Clinicians and Pharmacists in the future; Teaching Clinical Assistant professor (2010–present)