The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF) has elected Indianapolis-based plastic surgeon Bruce Van Natta, MD, as its new president. ASERF is the philanthropic research and education arm of The Aesthetic Society. As president of ASERF, Van Natta plans to lead ASERF in its pursuit to advance aesthetic surgery through research and education. 

Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Bruce Van Natta has been a practicing plastic surgeon in Indianapolis for over 33 years. A graduate of DePauw University, he received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine, where he originally planned to become a cardiovascular surgeon. However, a chance encounter with a plastic surgeon faculty member led him to his calling. He went on to complete five years of general surgery residency with an additional 2.5 years in the specialty of plastic surgery.

“I am both honored and excited to help guide ASERF in its ongoing mission to promote cutting-edge advances in aesthetic medicine and surgery,” says Van Natta, “ASERF has funded research that directly impacts our work as surgeons to optimize patient outcomes and promote safety. Research funded by ASERF investigating topics like Breast Implant Illness are answering critical questions for both surgeons and patients with peer-reviewed data. I encourage all Aesthetic Society members to give back to ASERF with donations to assure we can continue this important work.”

Van Natta is a clinical assistant professor in the plastic surgery department of Indiana University Medical Center and travels nationwide to present on breast surgery and soft-tissue support. A fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Van Natta is a medical advisor for Sientra and was an active investigator in all clinical trials leading up to the re-release of silicone gel breast implants.

 Van Natta has been a member of The Aesthetic Society since 1998 and has served on the ASERF Board of Directors and numerous committees including the FDA Breast Implant Hearing Task Force, Breast Implant ALCL Task Force, and many more. 

Other newly named ASERF officers serving on the executive committee are as follows:

ASERF President-Elect: Caroline A. Glicksman, MD, MSJ

Caroline A Glicksman, MD, MSJ, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New Jersey and has been in private practice in Sea Girt since 1991. She attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and in 1980 received a BS in microbiology and a BA in sociology. Glicksman went on to attend the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, receiving her MD in 1985. 

After completing her general surgery training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, she completed her plastic surgery residency at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in 1991. She then went on to complete an additional fellowship in cosmetic surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In 2020, she received her master’s degree in pharmaceutical and medical device law from Seton Hall Law School.

ASERF Vice President: Onelio Garcia Jr., MD

Onelio Garcia Jr., MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon who began a private practice in South Florida in 1985. He is considered a surgeon of distinction and has served the plastic surgery community for the past 30 years. 

Garcia also participates as part of the clinical faculty in the division of plastic surgery at the University of Miami helping to train the residents in aesthetic surgery. He has published numerous articles on body contouring surgery, breast surgery, and facial aesthetic surgery in the plastic surgery literature. In addition, he has authored eight chapters in body contouring and breast surgery in well-respected textbooks. He lectures frequently as invited faculty at national and international plastic surgery conferences.

ASERF Treasurer: Patricia A. McGuire, MD

Patricia McGuire, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon and a native St. Louisan. She attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City for undergraduate and medical school before doing a general surgery residency at Jewish Hospital-Washington University and plastic surgery at St. Louis University. McGuire specializes in breast surgery and body contouring. She lectures nationally and internationally on cosmetic breast surgery focusing on safety and has numerous publications in plastic surgery journals. 

McGuire is a principal investigator for the ASERF sponsored “Systemic Symptoms Biospecimen Analysis Study” the first prospective, blinded study, with control groups looking at symptoms that develop in women with implants.

Secretary: Gabriele C. Miotto, MD, MEd 

Gabriele C. Miotto, MD, MEd, is an internationally recognized plastic surgeon specializing in aesthetic surgery, especially of the face, eyes, nose, and breast. She is also an expert injector of facial fillers, neuromodulators, and performs fat-grafting injections for facial rejuvenation. She sees patients at her private practice in Atlanta- ME Plastic Surgery. Miotto is proudly Brazilian-American. She is fellowship-trained in aesthetic and oculoplastic (eyelid) surgery and certified by the Georgia Composite Medical Board as well as a member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery. 

Miotto is a “Membro Titular” of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery since 2009. She is also certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and earned a master’s degree in Education with an emphasis on health profession education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.