Background

Hometown
San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Undergraduate School
Brigham Young University
Major: Molecular Biology

Doctoral Degree
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ph.D., Neurosciences

Medical School
Vanderbilt School of Medicine

Bio

Dagoberto Estevez, M.D., Ph.D., was born and raised in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Before moving to the U.S., he worked as an english teacher in Honduras and served a mission in Guatemala for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology with a minor in Hebrew at Brigham Young University, where he graduated with University Honors. He obtained his medical degree from the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. During medical school, he received NIH funding as a Fogarty Global Health Scholar studying cancer epidemiology and gastric cancer under the mentorship of Dr. Douglas Morgan. He led the establishment of the first population-based cancer registry and cancer survival study in Honduras. During residency, he received R25 NIH funding working under Dr. James Markert's mentorship to investigate oncolytic immunovirotherapy with HSV-1 with active involvement in ongoing clinical trials. Dago completed the Advance Research training In SciEnce for M.D.s (ARISE-MD) Ph.D. program obtaining a Ph.D. in neuroscience in December 2023. Dago has served in multiple leadership positions in his community as well as in medical school and national organizations. Dago was inducted to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) in 2017 and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society in 2023. He has served as an executive board member at both his local chapter and national AOA board. Outside of neurosurgery, Dago enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, scuba diving, kayaking, hiking, playing guitar, singing, video games and reading.

Honors and Awards

• 2023 - M. Stephen Mahaley Jr. Resident Award for Research
• 2023 - James Garber Galbraith, MD Resident Award for Research
• 2023 - James "Buddy" Nobles, Jr. Resident Education Award
• 2023 - Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Inductee
• 2022 - Griffith R. Harsh III, M.D. Research Award
• 2022 - Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation (SBFT) Award
• 2018 - VUSM’s Sten H. Vermund Award in Global Health
• 2017 - Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Inductee
• 2015 - AMA Foundations Minority Scholars Award