RUBEN AYALA, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Operation Smile

Ruben Ayala is a physician and public health specialist from Panama with 25 years of experience with Operation Smile. He was first introduced to the organization in his hometown of David, where he volunteered as a student translator. Shortly after completing his undergraduate degree in Oregon he was offered a job as an Operation Smile Mission Coordinator and continued serving in the following years as Senior Program Coordinator and Senior Manager of International Programs. He also worked in Mexico to establish an Operation Smile foundation. After graduating from medical school and serving as the Director of Programs in Mexico, he returned to Operation Smile as a Project Leader of Training Programs, later serving the organization as its Headquarters Medical Officer and as Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs. Dr. Ayala received his master’s degree in public health from the London School of Tropical Medicine and currently serves as Operation Smile’s Chief Medical Officer. He also represents Operation Smile at the World Health Organization’s Global Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care. Dr. Ayala is an ambassador of Operation Smile’s work and has spoken on topics such as medical innovation, safe surgery, health economics, equity in health and leadership in forums as diverse as the Asia Pacific MedTech Forum, the American Society of Plastic Surgery, Google, Microsoft, LATISM and the United Nation’s Foundation. He is also a leader in Operation Smile global health policy efforts promoting access to safe, timely and effective surgical care to the most underserved communities around the world.