Academic Title

Associate Professor

Bio Statement

Dr. Tolar is originally from the Czech Republic, and received his medical education in Prague at the Charles University. In 1992, he came to the University of Minnesota, where he completed his PhD in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology and Genetics. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, the Albert D. and Eva J. Corniea Chair, and the Director of Stem Cell/Gene Therapies. He is a member of the graduate faculty of the Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology (MICaB) Program, the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Genetics (MCDB&G) Program, and the Stem Cell Biology (SCB) Program.

Dr. Tolar has a clinical practice through the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital.

Dr. Tolar’s interests include educating and mentoring new physicians, and he has been the Director of the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology rotation at the University of Minnesota since 2005.

Dr. Tolar is active in many professional societies, and is a strong advocate for cooperation and communication within the clinical and research communities.

Research Interests

Dr. Tolar’s research interests include:

• Integrating clinical observation, molecular biology, immunology, and laboratory research in studying and treating children with lethal diseases—cancer, inborn errors of metabolism, and other devastating genetic disorders.
• Developing cellular therapies (including mesenchymal stromal cells and cellular reprogramming).
• Improving the safety of existing therapies (hematopoietic cell transplantation and its conditioning regimens).
• Investigating mechanisms by which stem cell transplantation is effective in repair of damaged tissues (e.g., heart, skin and brain).

Clinically, Dr. Tolar is currently working on protocols using hematopoietic stem cell transplant as a treatment for Hurler syndrome, Fanconi anemia, recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, dyskeratosis congenita, and severe aplastic anemia.

Research Articles

Clinical Interests

Blood and marrow transplantation, Gene therapy for correction of genetic diseases

Medical School

Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Residency

University of Minnesota (Pediatrics)

Fellowship

University of Minnesota (Hematology/Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation); University of Minnesota (PhD in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics)

Awards

• Best Doctors in America® (2011-2012, 2013)
• Mpls.St. Paul Top Doctors, 2012
• 2011-2016 Albert D. and Eva J. Corniea Chair, 2011-2016
• Butterfly Award, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, 2009
• Elected to Society of Pediatric Research, 2005
• University Pediatrics Foundation Scholar, 2005
• NIH/NICHD Child Health Research Scholar, 2003-2005
• Margaret Kendrick Hostetter MD Award for Research in Pediatric Subspecialty Training (1st place Fellow Research Symposium), 2003
• American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award, 2003
• Amy Strelzer Manasevit Scholars Program Bone Marrow Transplant Award, 2002
• MD summa cum laude and Academic Achievement Award of the Chancellor, 1st Medical School, Charles University, 1990