Dr. Della Valle is a native of New York and majored in Biological Basis of Behavior at the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences in Philadelphia, PA. As an undergraduate he was named a Benjamin Franklin Scholar (designated to 10% of incoming students). As a work study student, he had his first real scientific experiences working in an immunology laboratory which spurred his interest in medicine and led to his first research award. While in college he spent a semester abroad studying in Florence, Italy. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with an honors degree from the Benjamin Franklin Scholar program. Dr. Della Valle stayed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for medical school and graduated again with honors, being elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society and receiving the Merk Manual Award for outstanding performance in his clinical rotations. During medical school he spent time at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. He returned to New York city for his internship and residency training at NYU Medical center and The Hospital for Joint Diseases. During his residency he dedicated a full year to basic science and clinical research, which laid the foundation for his further academic pursuits. His final leg of training was at Rush University Medical Center and Central DuPage Hospital, specializing in hip and knee reconstruction. He was asked to stay on as faculty following his fellowship training in 2002. Dr. Della Valle is now a full professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center. He is not only a busy surgeon (having performed more than 9,000 hip and knee replacements) but a respected leader in the field of hip and knee research. At present, he has co-authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers, more than 60 book chapters and has edited 12 text books. He travels extensively sharing his research and these experiences allow him exposure to the most up to date information to maximize patient quality of care.