Plastic Surgery About Us Message from the Chair Contact Us Education & Training Visiting Medical Students Residency Program Fellowship Programs Research Center for Tissue Engineering (CTE) Faculty Research — Miles J. Pfaff Clinical Expertise Faculty Faculty Research — Miles J. Pfaff UC Irvine Department of Plastic Surgery Home Research Research: Clinical Departments Plastic Surgery: Home Plastic Surgery: Research Plastic Surgery: Research > Faculty Research — Miles J. Pfaff Spotlighting our Faculty Researchers Miles J. Pfaff, MD, MHS, FACS, FAAP Assistant Professor & Residency Program DirectorUC Irvine Department of Plastic SurgeryCraniofacial & Reconstructive SurgeonUC Irvine and Children's Hospital of Orange County Miles J. Pfaff's research aims to advance craniofacial and reconstructive surgery through innovation in artificial intelligence, tissue engineering and patient-centered outcomes analysis. Research Projects Artificial Intelligence & Craniofacial Surgery A major focus of Pfaff’s research is the application of artificial intelligence and computer vision to cleft speech dysfunction. His team is developing AI-assisted tools for speech assessment and clinical decision support to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cleft-related and non-cleft speech disorders. Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Reconstruction Pfaff’s translational research efforts center on cartilage tissue engineering and regenerative reconstruction. Working alongside multidisciplinary collaborators, his laboratory investigates donor cartilage scaffolds, auricular tissue engineering and 3D tissue-engineered constructs for craniofacial reconstruction, with a particular focus on microtia, ear and nasal reconstruction. This work is done in collaboration with the department's Center for Tissue Engineering. Craniofacial Outcomes Research Pfaff's clinical outcomes research examines functional, psychosocial and quality-of-life outcomes following craniofacial and reconstructive procedures. This includes prospective patient-reported outcomes research in patients with cleft and craniofacial differences, with an emphasis on understanding recovery from the patient and family perspective. Clinical Research Fellowship Pfaff mentors medical students and research fellows interested in plastic and reconstructive surgery, craniofacial surgery, artificial intelligence applications, tissue engineering and outcomes research. A limited number of one-year clinical research fellowship opportunities may be available for highly motivated applicants pursuing careers in plastic surgery. Research fellows gain experience in clinical study design, manuscript preparation, database development, outcomes research and multidisciplinary translational projects involving craniofacial surgery, speech surgery, tissue engineering and artificial intelligence. Interested applicants can learn more by emailing Christine Solis-Stevens at csolis1@hs.uci.edu. Please include your CV and a letter of interest in your initial email.