Natalia Imad Khalaf, MD, MPH, FACP

Assistant Professor (tenure track)

Email

nikhalaf@bcm.edu

Positions

Assistant Professor (tenure track): Medicine
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX, US

Staff Physician: Gastroenterology
Michel E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC)
Houston, Texas, United States

Core Faculty Member: Health Policy, Quality & Informatics (HPQI) Program
Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt)
Houston, Texas, United States

Education

MD from Baylor College of Medicine: 05/2011 - Houston

Residency at Baylor College of Medicine: 05/2014 - Houston; Internal Medicine

Residency at Baylor College of Medicine: 06/2015 - Houston; Chief Medical Resident

Clinical Fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital: 06/2018 - Boston; Gastroenterology and Hepatology

MPH from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: 06/2018 - Boston; Epidemiology

Certifications

American Board of Internal Medicine

Board certified in Internal Medicine.

American Board of Internal Medicine

Board certified in Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

Honors & Awards

Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) Faculty Excellence Award - Teaching and Evaluation: Baylor College of Medicine (05/2025)

Selected for the 2024 class of the National Academy of Medicine Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence program.: Funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, this collaborative program in partnership with the Council of Medical Specialty Societies offers a one-year, part-time experience for exceptional professionals to advance their diagnostic skills, make significant contributions to improve clinical diagnosis at the national level, and accelerate their career development as national leaders in the field; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (07/2024 - 06/2025)

Selected Publications

Sharara A, Mokahal A, Harb A, Khalaf N, et al.. " A Novel Risk Prediction Rule for Advanced Neoplasia at First Screening Colonoscopy for Average-Risk Individuals. " World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2020 Oct ;
Pubmed PMID: 33088163.
Babic A, Zhang X, Moralez-Oyarvide V, Yuan C, Khalaf N, et al.. " Acid-suppressive Medications and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: Results from Three Large Prospective Cohort Studies " Br J Cancer. 2020 ;
Pubmed PMID: 32541871.
Babic, A., Rosenthal, M.H., Sundaresan, T.K., Khalaf, N, et al. " Adipose tissue and skeletal muscle wasting precede clinical diagnosis of pancreatic cancer " Nat Commun. 2023 Jul 18; 14 (1) : 4317.
Pubmed PMID: 37463915.
Qian ZR, Rubinson DA, Nowak JA, Morales-Oyarvide V, Dunne RF, Kozak MM, Welch MW, Brais LK, Da Silva A, Li T, Li W, Masuda A, Yang J, Shi Y, Gu M, Masugi Y, Bui J, Zellers CL, Yuan C, Babic A, Khalaf N, et al. " Association of Alterations in Main Driver Genes Predict Patient Outcomes in Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. " JAMA Oncology. 2018 Mar ; 4 (3) : e173420.
Pubmed PMID: 29098284.
Khalaf N, El-Serag H, Abrams H, Thrift A. " Burden of Pancreatic Cancer: From Epidemiology to Practice. " Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2019 ;
Khalaf N, Ali B.. " Challenges and Opportunities in Pancreatic Cancer Screening Among High-Risk Individuals. " Gastroenterology. 2022 Jun ; 162 (7) : 2113-2120.
Pubmed PMID: 35364067.
Murthy S, Khalaf N, Shah S, Ma B, Goldsmith C, Kass J. " Churg-Strauss Syndrome: An Uncommon Cause of Intracerebral Hemorrhage " JAMA Neurology. 2013 ; 70 : 1580-1.
Pubmed PMID: 24126465.
Khalaf N, Crews J, DuPont HL, Koo HL. " Clostridium difficile: An Emerging Pathogen in Children " Discovery Medicine. ; 14 : 105-13.
Pubmed PMID: 22935207.
Saini SD, Schoenfeld P, Goebel S, von Rosenvinge EC ... Khalaf N, et al.. " CONFIRM Study Group. Baseline Features and Reasons for Nonparticipation in the Colonoscopy Versus Fecal Immunochemical Test in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer (CONFIRM) Study, a Colorectal Cancer Screening Trial. " JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jul 3; 6 (7) : e2321730.
Pubmed PMID: 37432690.
Khalaf N, Liu Y, Kramer JR, El-Serag HB, Kanwal F, Singh H. " Defining and Understanding Diagnostic Delays Among Pancreatic Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study " Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Jul 27;
Pubmed PMID: 39074521.
Claridge H, Price CA, Ali R, Cooke E, de Lusignan S, Harvey-Sullivan A, Hodges C, Khalaf N, et al. " Determining the feasibility of calculating pancreatic cancer risk scores for people with new-onset diabetes in primary care (DEFEND PRIME): study protocol " BMJ Open. 2024 Jan 22; 14 (1) : e079863.
Pubmed PMID: 38262635.
Khalaf N, Kramer J, Liu Y, Abrams D, Singh H, El- Serag HB, Kanwal F. " Diabetes Status and Pancreatic Cancer Survival in the Nationwide Veterans Affairs Healthcare System " Dig Dis Sci.. 2023 Sep ; 68 (9) : 3634-3643.
Pubmed PMID: 37474717.
Yuan C, Babic A, Khalaf N, et al.. " Diabetes, Weight Change, and Pancreatic Cancer Risk " JAMA Oncol. 2020 Oct ; 6 (10) : e202948.
Pubmed PMID: 32789511.
Szafron D, Kim H, Turin C, Benzi E, Khalaf N, Hernaez R. " Duodenal and liver lesions in an adult with generalized weakness. " Gut. 2019 ;
Khalaf N, Ali B, Liu Y, Kramer JR, El-Serag H, Kanwal F, Singh H. " Emergency Presentations Predict Worse Outcomes Among Patients with Pancreatic Cancer " Dig Dis Sci. 2023 Dec 16; 69 (2) : 603-614.
Pubmed PMID: 38103105.
Hamada T, Yuan C, Yurgelun MB, Perez K, Khalaf N, et al. " Family history of cancer, Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, and pancreatic cancer risk " Br J Cancer. 2019 Apr ; 120 (8) : 848-854.
Pubmed PMID: 30867564.
Yurgelun M, Chittenden A, Morales V, Dunne R, Kozak M, Quian ZR, Welch M, Brais L, Da Silva A, Bui J, Yuan C, Li T, Li W, Masuda A, Gu M, Bullock A, Chang D, Clancy T, Linehan D, Findeis-Hosey J, Doyle L, Thorner A, Ducar M, Wollison B, Khalaf N, et al. " Germline cancer susceptibility gene variants and paired somatic analyses in patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma " Genetics in Medicine. 2019 Jan ; 21 (1) : 213-223.
Pubmed PMID: 29961768.
Khalaf N, Mittal S. " Hepatic portal venous gas: an ominous sign of mesenteric ischemia " Image of the Month, Clinical Gatroenterology and Hepatology. 2014 ; 12 (6) : A29-30.
Pubmed PMID: 24440213.
Zaid M, Elganainy D, Dogra P, Dai A, Widmann L, Fernandes P, Wang Z, Pelaez MJ, Ramirez JR, Singhi A, Dasyam A, Brand R, Park W, Rahmanuddin S, Rosenthal M, Wolpin B, Khalaf N, et al.. " Imaging-based subtypes of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma exhibit differential growth and metabolic patterns in the pre-diagnostic period: implications for early detection " Frontiers in Oncology. 2020 Dec 2; 10
Pubmed PMID: 33344245.
Jacob J, Millien V, Berger S, Ketwaroo A, Flores A, Hernaez A, Hou J, Jarbrink Sehgal M, Khalaf N, et al.. " Improving Adherence to Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia among Gastroenterologists at a U.S. Academic Institution. " J Clin Gastroenterol.. 2023 Jul ; 58 (5) : 432-439.
Pubmed PMID: 37436841.
Khalaf N, El-Serag H, Kuzniarek J, Ramsey D, Tabasi S, White D, Kanwal F. " Intake of Coffee and Caffeine are Associated with Decreased Risk of Advanced Hepatic Fibrosis among Patients with Hepatitis C " Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2015 ; 13 : 1521-1531.
Pubmed PMID: 25777972.
Khalaf N, Anish R, Buehler G. " Intragastric Balloon in the Emergency Department: An Unusual Cause of Gastric Outlet Obstruction " Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2014 ; 46 : 113-6.
Pubmed PMID: 24495937.
Khalaf N, Felice F, Sejpal D. " Jejunal Dieulafoy’s Lesion: A Rare Cause of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleed. " Practical Gastroenterology. 2014 ; 37 (10)
Morales-Oyarvide V, Rubinson DA, Dunne RF, Kozak MM, Bui JL, Yuan C, Qian ZR, Babic A, Da Silva A, Nowak JA, Khalaf N, et al. " Lymph node metastases in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: predictors of disease recurrence and survival. British Journal of Cancer 2017 Dec 5 " Br J Cancer. 2017 Dec ; 117 (12) : 1874-1882.
Pubmed PMID: 28982112.
Khalaf N, Wolpin BW. " Metabolic Alterations as a Signpost to Early Pancreatic Cancer. " Gastroenterology. 2019 May ; 156 : 1560-1563.
Pubmed PMID: 30926350.
12. Khalaf N, Ying J, Mittal S, Temple S, El-Serag H. " Natural History of Untreated HCC in a U.S. Cohort and the Role of Cancer Surveillance " Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2016 ; 16 : 30517-1.
Pubmed PMID: 27521507.
Khalaf N, Ali B.. " New-onset Diabetes as a Signpost of Early Pancreatic Cancer: The Role of Screening " Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2022 Sep ; 20 (9) : 1927-1930.
Pubmed PMID: 35181568.
Khalaf N, Nguyen T, Ramsey D, El-Serag H. " Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and the Risk of Barrett’s Esophagus " Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2014 ; 12 : 1832-9.
Pubmed PMID: 24793026.
Millenia V, Abrams D, Khalaf N. " Not all terminal ileitis is Crohn’s disease: Intestinal tuberculosis causing small bowel obstruction. " Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2020 ;
Khalaf N, Kramer J, Ramsey D, El-Serag H. " Personal and family history of cancer and the risk of Barrett’s esophagus in men " Diseases of the Esophagus. 2015 ; 28 : 283-90.
Pubmed PMID: 24529029.
Hamada T, Khalaf N, Yuan C, et al. " Pre-diagnosis Use of Statins Associates With Increased Survival Times of Patients With Pancreatic Cancer " Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2018 Aug ; 16 (8) : 1300-1306.
Pubmed PMID: 2947497.
Yuan C, Morales-Oyarvide V, Khalaf N, et al.. " Prediagnostic Inflammation and Pancreatic Cancer Survival. " J Natl Cancer Inst.. 2021 Sep 4; 113 (9) : 1186-1193.
Pubmed PMID: 33739411.
Hamada T, Yan C, Bao Y, Zhang M, Khalaf N, et al. " Prediagnostic Leukocyte Telomere Length and Pancreatic Cancer Survival " Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev.. 2019 Aug 19; 28 (11) : 1868-1875.
Pubmed PMID: 31427306.
Pan S, Brand R, Lai L, Dawson D, Donahue T, Kim S, Khalaf N, et al.. " Proteome heterogeneity and malignancy detection in pancreatic cyst fluids. " Clin Transl Med.. 2021 Aug ; 11 (8) : e506.
Pubmed PMID: 34459141.
Abrams H, Lee M, Dahdal S, Khalaf N. " Rapid Rectal Polyposis Development in a Patient with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis " ACG Case Reports. 2020 Oct 26; 7 (10) : e00469.
Pubmed PMID: 33134403.
Khalaf N, Yuan C, Tsuyoshi Hamada, et al. " Regular Use of Aspirin or Non-Aspirin Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Is Not Associated With Risk of Incident Pancreatic Cancer in Two Large Cohort Studies " 2018 Apr ; 154 (5) : 1380-1390.
Pubmed PMID: 29229401.
Khan N, Husain SA, Husain SI, Khalaf N, George J, Raissi F, Segura A, Biswajit K, Bogaev R, Frazier O. " Remission of Chronic Anthracycline-Induced Heart Failure with Support from a Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device " Texas Heart Institute Journal. 2012 ; 39 : 554-556.
Pubmed PMID: 22949777.
Sharara A, Mokahal A, Harb A, Khalaf N, et al.. " Risk prediction rule for advanced neoplasia on screening colonoscopy for average-risk individuals. " World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2020 Oct 7; 26 (37) : 5705-5717.
Pubmed PMID: 33088163.
Hamada T, Khalaf N, Yuan C, et al. " Statin Use and Pancreatic Cancer Risk in Two Prospective Cohort Studies " Journal of Gastroenterology. 2018 Aug ; 53 (8) : 959-966.
Pubmed PMID: 29362938.
Khalaf N, Xu A, Nguyen T, Kramer J, Liu Y, Singh H, El-Serag, Kanwal F.. " The Impact of Race on Pancreatic Cancer Treatment and Survival in the Nationwide Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. " Pancreas. 2024 Jan 1; 53 (1) : e27-e33.
Pubmed PMID: 37967826.
Khalaf N, El-Serag H, Kanwal F, et al.. " The Influence of Gut and Tumor Microbiome on Pancreatic Cancer Outcomes " Gastroenterology,. 2020 Sep ; 159 (3) : 1184-1185.
Pubmed PMID: 32681921.
Jiang K, Bazarbashi AN, Dahdal S, Voiculescu A, Khalaf N. " The Spiraling Case of a Yellow Chef: Isolated Hyperbilirubinemia " Case Reports Hepatol. 2018 Aug ; 23 : 5876718.
Pubmed PMID: 30210882.
3. Srivatsav A, Ghanayem R, Dahdal S, Khalaf N. " Treatment of Esophageal Stricture After Lye Ingestion: A Case of Dysphagia following Colon Interposition. " ACG Case Reports. 2020 ;
Khalaf N, Samadder NJ. " Utility of Genetic Testing In Persons With Multiple Colorectal Polyps " Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2019 Mar 12; 3565 (19) : 30259-9.
Pubmed PMID: 30876960.
Khalaf N, Abrams H, Chemezian E, Kanwal F, El-Serag H.. " Why Do Small IPMNs Create Such a Huge Management Challenge? How International Classification of Diseases Codes Have Failed Us. " Pancreas. 2022 Feb 1; 51 (2) : e13-e15.
Pubmed PMID: 35404900.
Khalaf N, Ali B, Zimolzak A, Liu Y, Wei L, Kanwal F, et al.. " Digital Quality Measure of Potentially Avoidable Emergency Presentations Among Patients with Colorectal Cancer. " BMJ Quality & Safety.. 2025 Oct 9;
Pubmed PMID: 41027729.
Khalaf N, Ali B, Zimolzak A, Liu Y, El-Serag HB, Kanwal F, et al.. " Prevalence and Outcomes of Emergency Presentations of Colorectal Cancer in Veterans Affairs Health Care System " Dig Dis Sci.. 2025 Jan ; 70 (1) : 179-181.
Pubmed PMID: 39661278.
Khalaf N, Sandoval G, Zimolzak A, Kapadia P, Liu Y, Singh H. " A Digital Quality Measure for Emergency Presentation of Pancreatic Cancer " Br J Cancer. 2026 Apr ; 134 (8) : 1209-1217.
Pubmed PMID: 41691061.

Memberships

American College of Gastroenterology: Member (01/2015)

Texas Medical Association: Member (01/2014)

American Gastroenterological Association: Member (01/2013)

American College of Physicians: Member (01/2011)

National Arab American Medical Association,: Member (01/2019)

Gold Humanish Honor Society: Inducted Member (01/2010)

Funding

Health Informatics Approaches to Improve Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer: (04/01/2022 - 09/01/2027); Grant funding from VA Health Services Research & Development Career Development

Implementing Digital Quality Measures into Learning Health Systems for Diagnostic Excellence in Cancer Care: (07/01/2024 - 06/01/2026); Grant funding from National Academy of Sciences

Clinical Quality Measures to Improve the Diagnosis for Gastrointestinal Cancers: (09/01/2022 - 12/31/2026); Grant funding from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Colonoscopy Versus Fecal Immunochemical Test in Reducing Mortality from Colorectal Cancer (CONFIRM) Trial: (05/01/2012 - 12/31/2028); Grant funding from Cooperative Studies Program; Co-local Site Investigator

Languages

Arabic