John H. Makari, MD, FAAP, FACS
Professor, UNMC Department of Surgery, Division of Urologic Surgery
Chief of Pediatric Urology, Nebraska Medicine
Chief of Pediatric Urology, Children's Nebraska
Program Director, UNMC Pediatric Urology Fellowship
Dr. Makari is a professor in the division of urologic surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is also the chief of pediatric urology at Nebraska Medicine and Children’s Nebraska in Omaha.
Dr. Makari graduated with his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He completed his residency training in general surgery and urology at the George Washington University, graduating in 2006. He subsequently completed his fellowship training in pediatric urology at Vanderbilt University in 2008. Prior to medical school, he received his bachelor's degree, and master's degrees in health care administration and public policy and management, all from Ohio State University.
Dr. Makari is a diplomate of and holds subspecialty certification in pediatric urology from the American Board of Urology. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the American Urological Association, the Society of Pediatric Urology, the Society for Pediatric Urology, the American Association of Clinical Urologists and the American Medical Association.
Dr. Makari is actively involved in clinical care, research and education. He provides comprehensive pediatric urology care and has particular interest in lower urinary tract reconstruction, disorders of sex development, and hypospadias. He has been an author on more than 35 journal publications and several book chapters on these and other topics in pediatric urology. He has presented research at local, national and international meetings.
- BA: Philosophy, The Ohio State University
- MHA: Health services management and policy, The Ohio State University School of Public Health 1996
- MA: Public policy and management, The Ohio State University John Glenn School of Public Affairs 1996
- MD: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
- Residency: General surgery, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
- Residency: Urology, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
- Fellowship: Pediatric urology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Hospital affiliations: Nebraska Medicine, Children's Nebraska
- Clinic locations: Children's Nebraska Specialty Pediatric Center, Durham Outpatient Center
Dr. Makari's early career investigation was comprised of a combination of basic science and clinical research. While investigating varied clinical questions in pediatric urology, the focus of his basic science research was on mechanisms of bladder fibrosis and investigation into stem cell differentiation into genitourinary organs. The majority of this work was performed as a research fellow in the Division of Pediatric Urology at Vanderbilt University under the supervision of John C. Pope, IV and was funded in part by an NIH grant. This worked led to better understanding of the impact of TGF-β on bladder fibrosis and the influences on embryologic urogenital sinus development; it demonstrated the importance of a tool for the study of bladder development with long-term application toward future stem cell therapies.
His research focus has shifted exclusively towards clinical research with an emphasis on database and population research. This line of investigation has been useful for understanding variation in health care, treatment trends and aggregate outcomes for surgical interventions. This work helps to place perspective on regional practice patterns and results.
- American Urological Association
- South Central Section of the American Urological Association
- American College of Surgeons
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Urology
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Nebraska Chapter
- Society for Pediatric Urology
- Society for Fetal Urology
- American Association of Clinical Urologists
- Vanderbilt Urology Society
- American Medical Association
- Nebraska Medical Society
- Metro Omaha Medical Society
- Diplomate, American Board of Urology
- Pediatric Urology, American Board of Urology
- University of Connecticut urology residency program Myron P. Walzak, MD Urology Teaching Award for Excellence in 2012
- Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Medical Staff Award for Excellence in Quality and Safety in 2012
- Hal K. Mardis Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Division of Urologic Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2023.
- He has been named one of the “Best Physicians as Chosen by Their Peers” in Hartford Magazine in 2013-2017, a Connecticut Magazine “Top Doc” in 2016 and one of “The Best Doctors in America” in 2013-2020.
- He was selected as a “Top Doctor” in Omaha Magazine in 2019 and 2020, a “Premier Doctor” in Omaha Magazine in 2021-2024 and one of Castle Connolly’s “Top Doctors” in 2018-2024.