Shayan Khalafi, MD

Enhanced recovery after surgery, techniques in preoperative pelvic surgery, colorectal cancer survivorship, surgical education and innovation.

Robert Zeppa resident research award, National Institutes of Health T32 research grant recipient.

Dr. Shayan Khalafi is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He received his Master of Science in Physiology and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Cincinnati. He then completed his general surgery residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was accepted as a T32 surgical research fellow. During his research fellowship, Dr. Khalafi studied gastrointestinal cancer biology and helped develop novel targeted and combination therapeutic strategies for gastric and esophageal cancers.

Following residency, Dr. Khalafi pursued advanced fellowship training in Colon and Rectal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida, one of the nation’s premier centers for complex pelvic and minimally invasive colorectal surgery. His clinical practice focuses on the management of colon and rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease, and complex anorectal disorders, with particular expertise in minimally invasive and robotic techniques, transanal surgery, and preoperative pelvic procedures.

An active academic surgeon, Dr. Khalafi has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and presented at national surgical meetings on topics including fluorescence-guided colorectal surgery, robotic and laparoscopic outcomes in appendiceal and rectal cancer, and strategies to optimize complex pelvic dissection. His academic mission is to integrate surgical innovation, advanced imaging, and evidence-based practice to improve outcomes for patients with colorectal disease while mentoring and educating the next generation of surgeons.