The Yale School of Medicine MD Class of 2025 has selected Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, MD, James C. and Sarah K. Kennedy Dean of Research at Mayo Clinic in Florida, as its graduation speaker. The ceremony takes place on Monday, May 19.

Quinones-Hinojosa (known as “Dr. Q”) earned his bachelor’s in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and his MD at Harvard Medical School. He completed his neurosurgery residency and post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco before transitioning to John Hopkins School of Medicine as an attending neurosurgeon, eventually earning the honor of professor of neurosurgery.

After joining the team at Mayo Clinic in Florida, he became the Monica Flynn Jacoby Endowed Chair for the Department of Neurosurgery. He is currently the James C. and Sarah K. Kennedy Dean of Research at Mayo Clinic, and also holds the William J. and Charles H. Mayo Professorship in Neurological Surgery.

Quinones-Hinojosa Neuroscience Laboratory has earned many grants due to their cutting-edge research, and he has been featured on the Emmy Award-winning Netflix production, The Surgeon's Cut. Beside his clinical and research activities, Quinones-Hinojosa is co-founder and serves as president of Mission Brain, Bridging Resources and Advancing International Neurosurgery, a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. He is also active in education and provides mentorship to many postdoctoral fellows.

His book, Becoming Dr. Q, is an internationally known story, and his journey to success has inspired thousands over the world. Because not too long ago, Dr. Q was Freddy, a 19-year-old undocumented migrant worker toiling in the tomato fields of central California.