ACTIVE MEMBER
Dr. Robert L. Walton is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is nationally and internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions in reconstructive microsurgery. As past director of two prestigious academic programs in plastic surgery at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Chicago, Dr. Walton has trained over 40 plastic surgery residents and fellows who have gone on to make significant contributions in plastic surgery. Dr. Walton is the author of over 160 peer-review scientific articles, 50 book chapters, and 8 educational videos dealing with aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. In 1986 he founded Proyecto MIRA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the surgical care of indigent children in Puerto Rico suffering from facial and hand deformities. For these efforts he has received commendations for service from the Governor of Puerto Rico and the United Way Foundation.
Dr. Walton is a member of many prestigious professional organizations and has held positions of leadership in many, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The American Association of Plastic Surgeons, The American College of Surgeons, and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery. He graduated from medical school at the University of Kansas and received his surgery and plastic surgery training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Walton graduated from medical school with honors and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honors medical society. In 2005, Dr. Walton was recipient of the Peter J. Rubin Award for Best Scientific Paper at the American Association of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting. Dr. Walton has been Visiting Professor at over 45 Medical Schools. In 2006, he was honored to serve as the Visiting Professor of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In 2007, Dr. Walton was recipient of the James Barrett Brown Award in Plastic Surgery. Recently, Dr. Walton was honored by the University of Massachusetts for his contributions in establishing the UMASS training program in plastic surgery.
Clinical Focus
Dr. Walton’s clinical interests have focused on Facial and Nasal Reconstructive Surgery and Breast Surgery. He has developed novel microsurgical techniques for the restoration of nasal and facial defects and for the treatment of facial paralysis. Dr. Walton is recognized for his support and contributions to the field of Composite Vascularized Allotransplantation, and performed early pioneering work in limb transplants in primates. In 2008, he authored the ASRM and ASPS position papers on Composite Vascularized Allotransplants.