Curriculum Vitae

Awards and Leadership positions

Clinton Global Initiative 2010
My graduate work in Public Health has pushed me toward continuing to service the community, and was a major factor in my deciding to become involved with the Clinton Global Initiative. I originally designed my project with the literal goal of identifying and eradicating any malaria hotspots in Haiti, the final site of endemic malaria in the western hemisphere. Following the devastating earthquake, my goals changed dramatically, evolving from Malaria eradication to infectious disease control. My CGI project entitled MESI: Malaria Eradication through Student Involvement has completed our goal of raising 15 million dollars for the construction and development of an Infectious Disease Center in Port au Prince Haiti, and has partnered with other organizations to continue providing support and attention to the needs of the Haitian community. We hope to provide both immediate and long-term aid and control to the residents of Haiti as they continue to recover from the earthquake. As cofounder of the program I worked with physicians, surgeons, public health officials, lawyers, philanthropists, and fortune-500 companies to assure the viability and survival of the program beyond my ability to participate as a medical student.

Co-Founder of MESI: Malaria Elimination through Student Involvement

Golden Heart Award
The Golden Heart award is presented to one WSU medical student each year who best demonstrates dedication to the care and understanding of patients, and who balances scholastic achievement with outstanding patient care, community service and leadership.

Vice President: Gold Humanism Honors Society
Please see description below under “Medical School Honors”

Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Student Research Scholorship
I was recently awarded a $7,000 scholarship by the Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers for a research project I am completing regarding MS exacerbations in the African American Population, a major population in Detroit that is often overlooked in MS research.

Wayne State School of Medicine Admissions Committee
In addition to community service, I have been heavily involved in many campus organizations, representing my classmates and the student body as a whole. I am one of 4 voting student members of the admissions committee, interviewing and helping to select members of the class of 2014 and 2015. Admissions is obviously a huge but rewarding commitment, allowing me to shape the student body and provide guidance and advice to applicants.

Wayne State School of Medicine Curriculum Committee
Graduation Standards Subcommittee
3rd/4th year Subcommittee
I am also a member of the curriculum committee, discussing potential changes to our curriculum and to the organization of the medical school. I have helped make changes to individual courses, but have also helped adjust the requirements and expectations for medical students at Wayne State. I have helped design and institute longitudinal curricula, have expanded the school’s utilization of small group education, and am currently helping propose a list of required experiences, cases, and procedures that all 3rd and 4th year medical students should complete for graduation. Through the curriculum committee, I have also joined 2 subcommittees: The first defines qualifications for student promotions and expulsions, while the second focuses on the development of a standard 3rd and 4th year medical curriculum that includes each of the 9 clinical campuses.

Wayne State School of Medicine Clinical Campus Representative for Henry Ford Hospital
Most recently, I have been elected to serve as a Clinical Campus representative for Henry Ford Hospital. Of all of my elected positions, this is the one that allows me to work closest with the students and administration. I hold monthly meetings with administrators at HFH and WSU, relaying student concerns, complaints, and praises, while providing recommendations and potential changes to the medical student experience.

Completion of Co-Curricular Community Outreach Program
I have completed one year of Fabric of Society and one year of HuMed, each year completing over 100 hours of credit toward the program. Beyond the required seminar hours, I have been heavily involved with healthcare, educational, and community outreach programs. The majority of my hours have come from volunteering at Covenant Clinic, working with underserved and uninsured patients. I have also worked on Code Blue, providing basic health education to elementary school children in Detroit. Each year I participated in international care, traveling to Belize as a first year, and setting up my Haiti project as a second year.

Southeast Michigan Center for Medical Education
In October 2009, I was selected along with 10 other 2nd year students to represent both Wayne State University and medical students as a whole in a meeting for the SEMCME. At a time when the local Michigan government was considering making drastic changes to medical pay structures and education resources, we were asked to provide information regarding the true lives and concerns of medical students. We spoke with state representatives and their teams relaying our concerns for their proposals, ultimately defending medical student and resident loans, finances, and education.

Medical School honors

Gold Humanism Honor Society
GHHS is an honors society that recognizes medical students who have demonstrated excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service. We have the goal of elevating the values of humanism and professionalism within the field of medicine and specifically amongst the medical students at WSU.

3rd Year Clinical Honors: Neurology/Neurosurgery, Family Medicine, Psychiatry

1st Year Course Honors: Clinical Medicine

Professional memberships/societies

• American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• American College of Surgeons
• American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
• Gold Humanism Honors Society
• American Medical Association
• Jewish Medical Society
• American Public Health Association

Publications and presentations

Shafa, Brian.  Critical Events in Anesthesia for Plastic Surgery Procedures: BBL. Presented at the Simulation in Anesthesia Conference.  Lima, Peru.  October 2019.

Shafa et al. Can the Apple Measure Augmented Reality App be used in Plastic Surgery and Wound Care? Presented at ASPS San Diego 2019.

Shafa et al. Is There a Difference Between Genders When Comparing Chin Morphology Using 3D Photo Analysis? Presented MAPS 2018.

Karamanos et al.  Impact of transfusion of minimal amount of blood products after Ventral Hernia Repair.  Submitted for Publication 2015

Ghaznavi et al.  Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Comparison of Local Anesthetic Infusion Pump Versus Depofoam Bupivacaine for Pain Management after Abdominoplasty and TRAM Flap Breast Reconstruction.  Abstract Presentation at ASPS Boston 2015.

Brian Shafa, MD et al.  Fibrin Sealant in Abdominoplasty to Reduce Complication Rates.  Abstract publication Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. April 2014 - Volume 133 - Issue 4S - p 1049.  Poster presented at the ASPS Conference in Miami 2014

Brian Shafa, MD et al.. Analysis of VTEs in Patients Transferred to Henry Ford Hospital. Grand Rounds Presentation Henry Ford Hospital

Brian Shafa, MD, Andrew Chen, MD.  Fibrin Sealant in Abdominoplasty.  Podium presentation to the Michican Chapter of ACS. June 2014

Patient-Centered Outcomes and Adherence to Disease-Modifying Agents Among African American Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A 5 Year Analysis.
 
Poster Presentation June 2011. Symposium on Multiple Sclerosis. Montreal 2011

Valproic Acid as an Anticancer Treatment. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007

Sole Author.  Graduate Thesis at JHSPH.

Liposuction Complications, Safe Liposuction and Fat Transfer. Basic and Clinical Dermatology, Dekker.com, 2003

Other Posters and Presentations

1. African American Patients with MS on Disease Modifying Drugs
2. CADDRE National Autism Study Proposed Protocol
3. The role of LRP6 in the Wnt Signal Transduction Pathway
4. Malaria Epidemiology and Elimination in Haiti
5. Patients leaving the Emergency Department against medical advice
6. Drug seeking patients in the Emergency Department 

Research Experience

Volunteer Experiences and Personal Interests

1987 - Tennis: Growing up, I was a consistently ranked in the top 20 tennis players in Southern California, winning both singles and doubles titles as well as team tennis championships each year.  I led the Beverly Hills Tennis Team to a state championship, and was on a Harvard-Westlake Varsity Tennis Team that ranked 3rd nationally my junior year.

1988 - Piano: I have played as a solo pianist, in a jazz band, in a classical orchestra, and used keyboards to produce electronic music.  I have produced several tracks for independent bands and artists in LA, and have performed in both the studio and on stage.

2008 - 2011 - Covenant Community Care Clinic: Provided full H & Ps as well as treatment plans and medication to patients at a free clinic that provides healthcare for the uninsured and indigent Hispanic population in Detroit.

2008 - 2011 - Cass Clinic: Provided full H & Ps as well as treatment plans and medication to patients at a free clinic that provides healthcare for the uninsured and indigent population in Detroit as well as patients undergoing drug rehabilitation.

2008 - 2009 - Code Blue: Provided health care education to students in various Detroit elementary schools through interactive activities, assignments, and games.

2008 - 2010 - WHSO Belize Trip:  As a first year medical student I traveled with a group of medical students, residents, and attending physicians to various remote villages in Belize where we offered both acute and chronic medical care.  We left patients with 3-6 months’ worth of medications when necessary, and at time provided minor procedures in the clinics.

2008 - 2011 - Student Run Free Clinic: I was on the founding board of the Wayne State University Student Run Free Clinic aimed at offering medical care to Detroit’s indigent and uninsured population.  We helped traverse all of the legal and financial issues in founding a clinic and providing care and medication to patients.

2009 - 2010 - HuMed: HuMed is a Co-Curricular program offered at Wayne State SOM that allows students to explore complementary and alternative medicine, morality and ethics in medicine, and psychosocial issues in illness.  I gained a greater understanding of alternative medical practices that patients often employ to supplement classic western medical practices that we are taught in medical school.

2002 - 2007 - Programa Salud: I was a member as both an undergraduate and graduate student of the organization that improves conditions of the Hispanic community in Baltimore through sustainable service, advocacy, and partnerships that encourage community participation and empowerment.

2009 - Lessenger Middle School:  As a 2nd year medical student, I volunteered at Lessenger Middle School where I worked with special needs 6th graders to teach real-life skills that may enable them to enter the work force in entry level positions.

2009 - Senior Citizen Outreach Program:  As a member of SCOP, I reached out to Detroit’s senior citizens to help them monitor their health through screening programs held in community centers and local churches.  In addition to basic screening programs, I provided educational resources and local community outreach.

2011 - First Year Medical School Orientation: I have been working with administration and faculty to organize and plan portions of the first-year orientation to better encourage involvement in student programs and community outreach.

2011 - Third Year Clinical Orientation: I have been working with faculty and administration to organize a portion of the third year orientation to help encourage continued student involvement in research and extracurricular activities during the clinical years.