معرفی
Natalia Imad Khalaf, MD, MPH, FACP is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine with dual appointments as Clinical Investigator in the Clinical Effectiveness and Population Health Program and Core Faculty in the Health Policy, Quality & Informatics Program at the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt) at Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. Her academic trajectory spans clinical gastroenterology, epidemiology, and health services research with focus on cancer outcomes.
Her educational foundation includes:
- BA in Biological Sciences from Rice University (2007)
- MD from Baylor College of Medicine (2011)
- Internal Medicine Residency and Chief Medical Residency at Baylor College of Medicine (2014-2015)
- Gastroenterology & Hepatology Fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital (2018)
- MPH in Epidemiology from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2018)
Dr. Khalaf's research program centers on pancreatic cancer epidemiology, with emphasis on early detection biomarkers (particularly new-onset diabetes), metabolic risk factors, and healthcare system interventions. Her work integrates clinical gastroenterology with population health methodologies to address diagnostic delays, racial disparities in treatment, and implementation of evidence-based guidelines in gastrointestinal cancers. She actively develops risk prediction tools using health informatics and deep learning approaches.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a concentrated focus on pancreatic cancer pathophysiology and outcomes, with significant contributions to understanding pre-diagnostic metabolic changes, emergency presentation consequences, and diabetes-cancer linkages. Her colorectal cancer work examines screening adherence barriers and medication risk associations, while quality improvement research targets guideline implementation for gastric intestinal metaplasia.
Her scientific recognition includes:
- AGA Academy of Educators Elected Member (2018)
- Bob Parsons Inaugural Fellow in Pancreatic Cancer Research (2017-2018)
- American Gastroenterological Association Early Career Investigator Recognition (2017)
- Soma Weiss Award for Clinical Teaching Excellence (2017)
- Dean of Medical Education Outstanding Resident Teacher Award (2013)
- Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society (2007)
Dr. Khalaf directs multiple federally funded research initiatives including:
- VA Career Development Award: Health Informatics Approaches to Improve Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer ($1.09M, 2022-2026)
- National Academy of Sciences: Clinical Quality Measures for Gastrointestinal Cancers (2022-2027)
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation: Implementing Digital Quality Measures (2024-2025)
- American Pancreatic Association Young Investigator Grant (2019-2021)
She operates within the IQuESt research ecosystem at the Michael E. DeBakey VA, leveraging the Clinical Effectiveness and Population Health Program infrastructure for her work on cancer diagnostic excellence, veteran health outcomes, and implementation science projects targeting gastrointestinal cancer care pathways.
