Dr. David Kalfa is an internationally recognized expert in pediatric congenital cardiac surgery. Kalfa serves as professor and researcher at FIU, in addition to treating patients at Nicklaus Children’s, where he is chief of the cardiovascular surgery section and co-director of the Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute.
Renowned for his skill in complex neonatal cardiac surgery and advanced pediatric valve repair, Kalfa has developed tissue-engineered cardiovascular devices and minimally invasive surgical techniques for treating congenital heart defects. His clinical work is closely integrated with research focused on improving safety, long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, and overall quality of life for children with heart defects.
Areas of Expertise
- Safety and effectiveness of pediatric cardiac surgery
- Tissue-engineered cardiovascular devices and minimally invasive techniques
- Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with complex cardiac conditions
- Complex neonatal heart procedures and advanced pediatric valve repair
Research Interests
- AI-guided surgical planning
- Regenerative medicine
- Robotic surgery
- Transplantation
Honors & Awards
- Joint Award - Department of Surgery Innovation Fund and Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV) / CUIMC Validation Fund ($100,000), 2024
- Study section member, NIH/NHLBI, Imaging, Surgery, and Bioengineering (ISB) (OSB-12 SBIR/STTR), 2023
- AATS Presidential Abstract Recognition Award, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 2023
- Elected Member of the Congenital Heart Surgeon's Society CHSS Research Committee, 2022
- Elected member of the Scientific Affairs and Government Relations Committee of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery AATS, 2022
Committees & Professional Organizations
- American Association for Thoracic Surgery
- Society of Thoracic Surgeons