Heidi M Torres, MD

Dr. Kenny Castro is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Assistant Attending Pediatrician at New York-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She is board certified in Pediatrics.Dr. Castro obtained her medical degree (M.D.) from the Central University of Venezuela. After receiving her M.D., she worked as a community doctor in her home country, Venezuela, providing medical care to low-income and minority populations. Seeking further expertise, she immigrated to the United States and pursued her medical training at Lincoln Medical Center, completing a three-year residency in pediatrics. Following that, she accomplished a three-year fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, where she was also inducted as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.During her fellowship training, Dr. Castro actively engaged in various research projects, focusing on clinical research and quality improvement. She contributed to studies exploring the public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Inflammatory Bowel Disease presentation in pediatric patients in the New York City area and enhancing patient experience during colonoscopy procedures. Dr. Castro is fluent in English and Spanish, and her clinical interests include abdominal pain, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux, eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease, celiac disease, poor weight gain, obesity, nausea, and vomiting.

Mehraneh Dorna Jafari, MD, is Associate Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and Chief of Colorectal Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She is the director of clinical research in the department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center. She is board-certified in general surgery and colon and rectal surgery. Dr. Jafari specializes in the comprehensive care of colorectal cancer patients, patients with peritoneal surface disease as well as those patients with benign colorectal disease.Dr Jafari works with a world-renowned group of multidisciplinary specialists to help promote a patient centered treatment plan for her patients, including radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, gastroenterologists, and interventional radiologists. Her goal is to provide precision medicine to patients that is safe and effective.Dr. Jafari has expertise in minimal access techniques, including laparoscopic, and robotic surgery. In addition, she has special interests in sphincter preserving surgery (helping rectal cancer patients avoid a permanent ostomy), maintaining fertility in cancer patients, and improving quality of life and bowel function after rectal surgery. Dr Jafari has been at forefront of research with regards to improving outcomes using enhanced recovery and narcotic sparing protocols.Dr. Jafari is among a small number of surgeons who offers surgery for metastatic colon, appendiceal and peritoneal surface disease. She utilizes cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), which involves heated chemotherapy applied directly within the abdominal cavity following removal of cancerous tumors.Dr. Jafari’s clinical research focuses on quality of life and oncological outcomes for colorectal cancer patients. Her main area of expertise is starting chemotherapy earlier in cancer treatment to allow patients to recover their quality of life sooner.Dr. Jafari has written extensively and published in many major journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Annals of Surgery, and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. She has led numerable courses teaching surgeons around the country how to perform minimal invasive surgery.Dr. Jafari is actively involved in many national Surgical and Oncologic Societies, including the American College of Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncologists, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and Association of Women Surgeons.Dr. Jafari completed her general surgical residency at University of California, Irvine and her Colorectal fellowship at NYP Weill Cornell/Columbia & Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She then was appointed the as Director Education for the Department of Surgery and Associate program Director of Colon and Rectal Surgery at University of California, Irvine prior to joining Weill Cornell.