American Society of Plastic Surgeons Names California Physician New President

NEW ORLEANS – Gregory R.D. Evans, MD, FACS, chief of the Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery Institute at the University of California in Irvine, today was named president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, the Society's annual scientific conference. Dr. Evans will oversee the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons for a one-year term.

"ASPS is more than just a professional organization," said Dr. Evans. "The Society is an advocate for patient safety and research. My goal is to ensure patients are educated about plastic surgery, and that they know the doctor performing their surgery should be a member of ASPS and a board-certified plastic surgeon."

Dr. Evans will explore new ways in which ASPS can help veterans in need of reconstructive procedures, and build upon the Society's initiatives to educate both patients and members via new technological platforms. Continuing to build ASPS' international membership will also be a key focus of his presidency.

An ASPS Member Surgeon since 1993, Dr. Evans has served on several ASPS committees, including a term as vice president of education for ASPS and The Plastic Surgery Foundation. He is well known for his work performing cancer reconstruction procedures and his research has appeared in the field's top scientific medical journals.

In addition to his current position at UC Irvine, Dr. Evans is a professor of surgery and biomedical engineering and the director of UC Irvine's Center for Tissue Engineering. He has also held positions at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

From 2005-2011, Dr. Evans served as a director of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and was president of the American Society Maxillofacial Surgeons from 2005-2006. He is also a member of the American College of Surgeons and the California Society of Plastic Surgeons, among other societies.

Dr. Evans graduated with his medical degree in 1985 from the University of Southern California, and went on to complete his general surgery training at the Los Angeles County/ USC Medical Center before completing his plastic surgery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Evans also finished a fellowship in craniofacial and microvascular surgery at the University of Maryland. He obtained his certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 1995.

Dr. Evans is a frequently published author and lecturer. He lives in Orange County and enjoys spending time with his wife, Ruth, and their two sons.

Reporters can register to attend Plastic Surgery The Meeting, or arrange interviews with presenters, by contacting ASPS Public Relations at (847) 228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org or in New Orleans, October 26-30, at (504) 670-4242.