Sharifa Himidan, MD

About

Sharifa Himidan, MD, MBA, FRCSc, is a pediatric surgeon whose clinical interests include minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, pediatric colorectal surgery, pediatric breast diseases and patient safety.

Dr. Himidan earned her medical degree at King Abdulaziz University (Saudi Arabia) in 1991. Her post-graduate work included a residency in general surgery completed in 1997 at the University Of Toronto (Canada), a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine completed in 1998 at The Hospital for Sick Children (Canada), and a fellowship in pediatric surgery completed in 2000 at Baylor College Of Medicine - Texas Medical Center (Houston, Texas). In 2021 Dr. Himidan earned an MBA with dual specialization in Innovation Technology and International Business from D’Amore Mckim School of Business at North Eastern University (Boston, Massachusetts).

Dr. Himidan’s professional appointments prior to joining UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s included serving as Paediatric General and Thoracic Surgeon and Director of Community Pediatric Surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children (2006 - 2024) and Humber River Health (2018 - 2024) in Toronto. She also practiced at North York General Hospital (Canada) from 2004 to 2018; and at Regina General Hospital (Canada) as a Pediatric Intensive Care Attending Physician (2003 - 2004) and Paediatric General Surgeon and Section Head (2001 - 2004).

Among other awards and honors, Dr. Himidan has been consistently selected as a Top Doctor in Toronto since 2022. She was also featured in “13 Canadian Health Heroes You Need to Know,” (Reader’s Digest Canada - 2017, reprint 2019) and was the recipient of the Canada 150 Commemorative Medal in 2017. Dr. Himidan was the Featured Paediatric Surgeon - Exhibit, National Music Centre Museum (Canada) in 2017. In addition, she received the Residents Teaching Award, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (Canada), 2014; and Chief Surgical Resident’s (Fellow’s) Award for Best Teacher, Surgery, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, 2010.

Professional societies in which Dr. Himidan is a member include the Canadian Association of Paediatric Surgeons, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), American College of Surgeons, Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Organization, International Pediatric Endosurgery Group, Ontario Medical Association and Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. She has also served as a member and/or director on committees of the Canadian Pediatric Surgery Network, Centre for Image-Guided Innovation and Therapeutic Intervention, The Hospital for Sick Children, and North York General Hospital, among other institutions. In addition, she is the chair of the Pediatric Surgery Examination board at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Dr. Himidan has contributed original publications to many peer-reviewed journals, among them European Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Healthcare Technology Letters, Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada and Journal of Trauma. She has also authored chapters for medical textbooks and written and presented a number of scientific abstracts on various topics in pediatric surgery.

As a medical researcher, Dr. Himidan has served as a principal investigator, co-principal investigator or principal applicant in studies evaluating image-guided surgical approaches, new therapies for necrotizing enterocolitis and other research topics. As an invited speaker and lecturer to numerous medical conferences, symposiums and grand rounds, Dr. Himidan has presented on such topics as breast masses in children and adolescents, acute appendicitis in children, pyloric stenosis, and computer-assisted radiology and surgery.