Richard Garfinkle

Richard Garfinkle, MD, MSc, PhD, joined the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Jewish General Hospital in 2024. He holds the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery and is appointed as a Principal Investigator at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research.

Dr. Garfinkle completed medical school and General Surgery residency at McGill University, during which he took three years away from training to pursue research studies. He completed a Master’s in Epidemiology and a PhD in Experimental Surgery (currently known as Surgical & Interventional Sciences). He then completed fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN).

His clinical interests include the management of primary and recurrent rectal cancer, colon cancer, diverticular disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. He is fully trained in robotic-assisted surgery and uses minimally invasive techniques whenever possible. His other areas of clinical practice including anorectal diseases and colonoscopy.

His research and academic interests include the multidisciplinary management of rectal cancer and long-term outcomes of patients with diverticulitis. He also has a particular interest in research methodology and clinical trial design. He was the recipient of the SAGES Researcher in Training Award in 2022 and the SAGES Career Development Award in 2024 and his work has been funded by both provincial and national health research agencies.

Dr. Garfinkle is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery. He is board-eligible for the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Royal College of Surgeons of Canada Colorectal Surgery certifications. He is an active member of the Canadian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons.