Becoming Dr. Q: How Mentors Shaped My Life
Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Today he is known as Dr. Q, an internationally renowned neurosurgeon and neuroscientist who leads cutting-edge research to cure brain cancer. But not too long ago, he was Freddy, a nineteen-year-old undocumented migrant worker toiling in the tomato fields of central California. In the closing keynote, Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa will share his amazing life story-from his impoverished childhood in the tiny village of Palaco, Mexico, to his harrowing border crossing and his transformation from illegal immigrant to American citizen and gifted student. Dr. Q is a testament to persistence, hard work, the power of hope and imagination, and the pursuit of excellence-who credits much of his success to the mentors who influenced him along the way and urged him down a path that he never thought was possible.
Dr. Q is currently an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University. In addition to directing the Brain Tumor Surgery Program, Dr. Q leads the Brain Tumor Stem Cell Laboratory. He graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School and completed his residency in neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco.