Rhami Khorfan

Rhami Khorfan, MD, MS, serves as Assistant Professor at Loma Linda University with dual appointments in the School of Medicine (Department of Surgery, Surgical Oncology Division) and School of Public Health. His research bridges clinical oncology and population health, focusing on disparities in cancer care delivery and surgical resident wellness.

Dr. Khorfan holds an MD and MS degree, with research activity spanning 11 years since his first publication in 2014. His educational background combines clinical surgical training with public health methodology expertise.

Research interests center on health disparities in surgical oncology (particularly for colorectal and hepatobiliary cancers among Latino/Black patients), surgical outcomes for complex procedures like cytoreductive surgery, and resident wellness in surgical training programs. His work examines how social determinants impact cancer treatment access and surgical education quality through mixed-methods approaches.

With 26 publications (7 in 2024, 3 in 2025), recent output shows dual trajectories: 1) Disparities research analyzing palliative care utilization and peritoneal metastases outcomes, 2) Surgical education studies on Doximity rankings and mentorship structures. All work appears in high-impact surgical journals including Annals of Surgical Oncology and JAMA Surgery.

Dr. Khorfan actively leads research funding as PI/Investigator on five approved grants at Loma Linda University Department of Surgery:

• PI: Social Vulnerability Analysis post-Whipple (2025)
• Investigator: Hepatobiliary Disparities Study (2024)
• Investigator: Immunotherapy Response Post-Surgery (2025)
• Investigator: Molecular Profiles in Underrepresented Communities (2025)
• Investigator: Port-a-Catheter Complications Study (2024)

These projects examine social determinants, therapeutic responses, and surgical complications through institutional data analysis.

While no formal lab name is designated, Dr. Khorfan's research team operates within Loma Linda's Department of Surgery, collaborating with surgical oncologists, public health epidemiologists, and resident physicians on disparities-focused clinical studies and educational initiatives.