Shahrzad Joharifard
MD, BA, MPH
Investigator and Pediatric Surgeon, BC Children's Hospital
Shahrzad Joharifard is a Canadian surgeon of Iranian-Australian heritage with a passion for global health, particularly in conflict and post-conflict settings. She holds degrees from Princeton University (AB in History cum laude), Duke University (MD), and the Harvard School of Public Health (MPH). She completed her residency in General Surgery at the University of British Columbia in 2017 and fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at CHU Ste Justine and the Université de Montréal in 2020.
Dr. Joharifard has extensive work experience in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to entering medicine, she worked with the International Rescue Committee in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone. During her training, she practiced in Cameroon, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. After completing residency, she joined Partners in Health as the lone surgeon at JJ Dossen Memorial Hospital in a remote corner of Liberia.
Dr. Joharifard is an attending Pediatric Surgeon at British Columbia Children’s Hospital and a Clinical Associate Professor at UBC. She practices full-spectrum pediatric surgery, with interests in neonatal and thoracic surgery, in addition to antenatal consultation and counselling. Her research interests lie in implementation science, medical education, innovation, and clinical outcomes.
Together with Dr. Emilie Joos, Dr. Joharifard co-founded the UBC Global Surgery Lab, a research and mentorship hub for undergraduate, medical, and graduate students. Through a partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the two surgeons co-direct the Vital Surgery Training Program, an 18-month task-sharing initiative that has trained three cohorts of physicians in South Sudan and will expand to the Central African Republic in 2026. She currently spends three months annually in the field with MSF, with six recent assignments in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.
