Appleton West High School Alumni
Appleton, Wisconsin (WI)
Donald Dafoe
Current Chief of Transplantation Surgery at the University of California Irvine Medical Center, former Director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center, Director of Surgical Education, holder of the Eris M. Field Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and former medical director of the California Transplant Donor Network.
What is Donald Dafoe known for?
Donald Christian Dafoe, an accomplished American surgeon and research scientist, was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin. He is notably an alumni of Appleton West High School, where he showcased his athletic abilities as part of the football and wrestling teams.
He pursued his undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and also acquired his medical degree from the same institution. As the eldest son of a surgeon himself, Dafoe was inspired to follow his father's footsteps in the field of surgery.
Donald Dafoe furthered his surgical training at the University of Pennsylvania. After his training, he evolved into a prominent figure in the medical field, particularly in transplantation surgery. He has served as the Chief of Transplantation Surgery at the University of California Irvine Medical Center in Orange, California. Prior to this, he leant his expertise to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he held a multitude of key roles including the Director of the Pancreas Transplantation, Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center, Director of Surgical Education, and was the distinguished bearer of the Eris M. Field Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research.
In his illustrious career, he has made significant contributions to medical literature by authoring over 160 peer-reviewed articles, and has been part of the editorial board in esteemed publications such as the Journal of Surgical Research, The Chimera, and Transplantation Science.
Dafoe has a large family, being a father of five and the eldest of seven siblings - one of them being Hollywood actor Willem Dafoe. This eminent surgeon has certainly made a mark in his field and stands as an inspiring figure to many aspirants in the medical field.