Craniofacial Distraction

Joseph G. McCarthy has been Lawrence D. Bell Professor of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center since 1981. From 1981 to 2013 he was Director of the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at the Center, and between 2010 and 2013 he was also Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery. Professor McCarthy’s principal professional interest has been reconstructive plastic surgery of the face and he pioneered the concept of craniofacial distraction. During his career, Professor McCarthy has trained more than 100 plastic surgery residents and 25 fellows in craniofacial surgery. He has been president of the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the Association of Academic Chairmen in Plastic Surgery, the Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Association of Plastic Surgeons. He has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the highest awards of the major plastic surgery organizations. In 2003 the University of Zurich presented him with the Surgical Pioneer Award and in 2010 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons. Professor McCarthy has also championed the cause of patients with facial deformity. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction and was Founding Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of Smile Train. He is the author of almost 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals as well as more than 120 book chapters and has edited or co-edited six previous books.