Faizal Haji

Dr. Faizal Haji serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine, with active clinical staff privileges at British Columbia Children's Hospital. He holds the position of Graduate Program Advisor for the Branch of Global Surgical Care, reflecting his commitment to international surgical education initiatives.

Dr. Haji's educational background includes undergraduate and medical training at McMaster University, neurosurgical residency at Western University in London, Ontario, and a PhD from the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto. His research training was further enhanced through fellowships at the Ronald R. Wilson Centre for Research in Education and the Learning Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children. Following certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2018, he completed a specialized fellowship in pediatric neurological surgery at the Children's Hospital of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dr. Haji's academic program focuses on two interconnected research streams: optimization of simulation-based education for surgical skills training and translation of educational innovations to build surgical capacity in resource-limited settings through global partnerships. His scholarly work bridges clinical neurosurgery with medical education theory, emphasizing practical applications for improving healthcare delivery worldwide.

His publications reveal a strong focus on adapting surgical education methodologies during global health crises and addressing complex neurosurgical conditions. The research demonstrates consistent attention to both technical neurosurgical challenges and innovative educational approaches that can be scaled across different healthcare settings.

As an educator and clinician, Dr. Haji maintains active involvement with the pediatric neurosurgery service at BC Children's Hospital, where he manages complex cases including spinal dysraphism, hydrocephalus, spasticity disorders, epilepsy surgery, and craniofacial abnormalities. His dual expertise in clinical practice and educational scholarship positions him uniquely at the intersection of surgical innovation and healthcare education.