An interview with Alvaro Alfredo Figueroa

Eduardo Franzotti SANT'ANNA, Mônica Tirre de Souza ARAUJO, Geórgia Wain THI LAU, Lúcio Henrique E. G. MAIA

Alvaro Alfredo Figueroa grew up in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the son of a physician. He was always intrigued by the healthcare field and made it his life and livelihood when he attended dental school at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala. Shortly after graduation, he spread his wings and found a position researching at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. It is there that his passion for craniofacial anomalies and treatment developed. From NIH, he moved to Rochester, NY, where he had the good fortune of being an orthodontic resident at the Eastman Dental Center under the strict eye and tutelage of J. Daniel Subtelny. Dr. Subtelny’s passion for orthodontic and surgical treatment of cleft lip and palate invigorated Alvaro who, after receiving his orthodontic specialty certificate in 1980, moved to Chicago, Illinois, to continue his studies. In Chicago, he attended the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and received his Pediatric Dentistry certificate and Master’s degree. While working on his Master’s research, he also took time to teach in the Department of Orthodontics and also began to play an integral role in the UIC Craniofacial Center. In 1999, he occupied to his current position at Rush University Medical Center as the Director of the Craniofacial Center. Over his more than thirty-year career, Alvaro has published a multitude of articles and textbook chapters. The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery awarded him the “Best Paper of the Year”, in 1997, for his work on Distraction Osteogenesis, and in 1998, he received the highly coveted BF and Helen Dewel award from the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics for best clinical research paper. Dr. Alvaro is married to Michele and father of Alex, also an orthodontist, and Aaron, a maxillo-facial surgeon, a warm and united family passionate about Dentistry. It is with great pleasure and honor that I share with the readers my admiration for Dr. Alvaro Figueroa. Eduardo Franzotti Sant’Anna

How to cite: Figueroa AA. An interview with Alvaro Alfredo Figueroa. Dental Press J Orthod. 2015 July-Aug;20(4):26-31. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/2176-9451.20.4.026-031.int

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