AESTHETIC CENTER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Certified Surgical Assistant
Alicia O'Shaughnessy is a certified Surgical Assistant at The Aesthetics Center. She was a valedictorian graduate of California Paramedical and Technical College and has worked in the plastic surgery industry for the last 30 years (more than 25 of those in an operating room). Alica is a highly valued member of our team. Over her tenure she has seen many new trends in the aesthetics field and has had direct, hands-on training by some of the very best in the industry.
Alicia enjoys being able to make surgery a comfortable experience for her patients and making them feel at ease before, during and after their procedure. What she loves most about her job is being able to use her skills to make things easier for her coworkers and patients on a daily basis. She loves being able to help others feel better about themselves.
Alicia was born in Redondo Beach California and lived in New Mexico for 15 years before moving back to Southern California. She and her husband of 20 years now reside on the East Coast. When not working, Alicia enjoys traveling to beautiful golf destinations with her husband and they're currently working on hitting all of the top 100 courses in the country! Alicia also enjoys cooking and baking and bringing these delectable baked goods to her co-workers who equally enjoy her baking!
Amy Arnow will help take care of your Pre and Post Operative Care at The Aesthetic Center. A true local to Connecticut, She was born and raised in Stamford and attended St. Vincents college where she trained and graduated in 2010 as a Nurse Manager.
Amy enjoys utilizing her skills as a Nurse to guide and support her patients as they navigate preparing for and recovering from surgery. She also loves being a part of the dynamic team at The Aesthetic Center.
Outside of the office, Amy loves dining out at local restaurants and trying new foods. She also loves spending time with her two sons Sean and Ryan.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Technician
- Our Spa Director
Carin Gustavson, Medical Spa Director and Cosmetic Laser Technician utilizes her distinct combination of beauty expertise and medical knowledge to non-surgical aesthetic procedures, working with our team of physicians to achieve the best results for our patients with both facial and body rejuvenation laser procedures. As an Aesthetic industry veteran, she has over 20 years in the beauty and skincare industry.
She began her career working for a leading cosmetic companies, eventually becoming the Director of Education for several brands developing and teaching education programs attended by thousands of beauty advisors across the country on in-depth seminars about skin, make-up artistry and customer service. Her love of helping people look and feel their best led her to the medical side of beauty and aesthetics.
Carin now uses her comprehensive knowledge to treat acne, scarring, anti-aging concerns and hair removal for the face and body. She specializes in treating each patient with the very best service, sharing her vast knowledge of the skin, skincare products, laser procedures and make-up.
Carin has a Bachelors Degree from the University of Washington, is EMT licensed and CLT certified.
Our Spa Director, Carin Gustavson, along with our highly trained aesthetician and our physicians work together to provide patients with skillfully administered treatments. We can address an array of concerns, from acne scarring to wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging. As our Spa Director, Carin is devoted to ensuring that patients are comfortable and confident in our care. With extensive training in this area, she can provide safe, comfortable treatment that achieves stunning results.
Cassandra Esposito is our highly trained Nurse Practitioner at The Aesthetic Center, born and raised in Stamford, CT. She graduated from nursing school in 2008, went on to obtain her Bachelor's degree graduating Magna Cum Laude at the Anna Maria College in 2017, and then achieved her Master's degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2019 at the University of Southern California. Cassandra also serves on the Connecticut Nurses Association Board of Directors as the Chair of the Leadership Committee.
Most of her nursing career was spent as a bedside RN in a hospital setting, predominantly in the ER, and as an APRN in the Urgent Care setting. Cassandra loves helping her patients meet their aesthetic goals with a conservative /natural approach to treatment.
In her free time, Cassandra enjoys live music, sporting events and creating mixed media art. She and her husband, Mark, are the proud owners of their rescue dog with a hearing disability and Cassandra got around this communication barrier by teaching her pup sign language!
As VP Patient Relations, Caunie is the liaison to Dr. Passaretti, ensuring patients receive an experience characterized by sensitivity and awareness of their aesthetic goals, coupled with adhering to the highest standards of excellence in patient care. Critical to this process is a personalized consultation educating and informing patients of their best options.
Caunie's ability to connect with patients in a caring and passionate way is her greatest asset in maintaining the practice's commitment to superior quality of care. She brings over ten years of committed industry and patient experience on a foundation of a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She continues to be driven by a desire to ensure her open door policy with honesty and the ability to make patients feel comfortable throughout every stage of their surgical journey.
Our VP Patient Relations, Christina Dwyer, was born and raised in Trumbull, Connecticut, thus a long time local resident of the area. Living in such a quaint town while being only a 45 minute train ride away from Manhattan, she gets the best of both worlds.
Christina graduated West Virginia University in 2017 and then took the opportunity to do several post-graduate marketing classes which she finds a valuable skill to have working in the field of aesthetics.
Christina loves the ever-changing field of aesthetics and being the best that she can be to give patients the most memorable experience at The Aesthetic Center.
Outside the office, Christina loves to travel and explore different places - whether it be flying or road trips. She is particularly fond of the beachside and being out on the water during the summer. She enjoys staying fit and going to the gym and always loves to spend time with her family and friends.
Deborah Kellner is the Front Desk Coordinator at The Aesthetics Center. She attended Stamford High School and graduated in 1986. Deborah has been in her field of expertise for over 15 years and has earned various awards and recognitions for her work. In her free time, Deborah enjoys country music/concerts, attending her daughter's college basketball games, summertime sun, trying new recipes & spending time with family. She is also an animal lover and currently has two pups, a Havanese named Howie and Bentley a very moody Shih Tzu. Deborah was born and raised in Stamford, CT. What she loves most about her job is working with talented surgeons and coworkers who make coming to work every day enjoyable.
Job Titles:
- Surgeon
- Certified Plastic Surgeon
Dr. David Passaretti is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He graduated cum laude in biology and classics degree from Union College in Schenectady, New York. In 1997, he received his Doctorate of Medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. His professional training includes a six-year plastic surgery residency at the University of Cincinnati's Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, as well as a research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Passaretti is licensed and certified to practice in Connecticut; he welcomes patients from throughout Fairfield County who are seeking a qualified cosmetic surgeon.
Dr. David Passaretti currently has teaching privileges at both Columbia and Yale Universities. In addition to teaching, he regularly contributes academic papers to well-known medical journals. These include Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons), The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, and Tissue Engineering. During his plastic surgery residency at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Passaretti also made numerous presentations on the topics of breast augmentation, face lift surgery, rhinoplasty, and breast reconstruction. He continues to present his findings at national and international conferences.
At his practice in Fairfield County, Connecticut, cosmetic surgeon David Passaretti, MD offers both reconstructive surgery and plastic surgery. He is particularly interested in body contouring, and breast reconstruction using the TRAM Flap surgical technique.
Learn more about Dr. Passaretti and visit his before and after photo gallery here.
"No one should ever look as if they had surgery," says Dr. Passaretti. "The results should be a natural-looking enhancement. Cosmetic surgery can give you added confidence and improve the quality of your life." His expertise in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery, body contouring (including post-bariatric surgery) and facial surgery brings many referrals from doctors in the community. Nonsurgical procedures such as injectables and laser are also options. "My patients receive the highest quality care at our accredited, state-licensed ambulatory center in Darien," he says, "with safety being my top priority."
Dr. David Passaretti was voted one of the ‘Top Doctors' in Connecticut Magazine in 2011 through 2019. He was also voted one of the ‘Top Doctors' for 2012 & 2013 in New Canaan-Darien, Westport, Greenwich and Stamford Magazine.
Dr. David Passaretti is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He graduated cum laude in biology and with a classics degree from Union College in Schenectady, New York. In 1997, he received his Doctorate of Medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts.
Job Titles:
- Surgeon
- Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Newman is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and has been practicing for over 30 years. A graduate of Yale University, Dr. Newman was one of ten exceptional students in a class of 1,000 to earn the coveted status of Scholar of the House.
Before graduating and later opening his private practice in Connecticut, plastic surgeon Fredric Newman worked multiple jobs in order to pay his own way through medical school-but his grades certainly didn't suffer. He was one of only four students in his class of 214 to graduate summa cum laude.
Dr. Newman trained in general surgery at Harvard University and received training in plastic surgery at the New York University Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery under renowned reconstructive and plastic surgeon John Marquis Converse. He completed a fellowship in facial and breast cosmetic surgery under the late Dr. Ralph Millard, who was regarded as one of the greatest plastic surgeons in the world.
Dr. Newman has held teaching appointments at major medical centers, including Harvard, SUNY Downstate, NYU, the University of Miami, New York Medical College, and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. Newman received his liposuction training from Yves-Gerard Illouz, the so-called ‘father' of modern liposuction.
He is an accomplished author, having written numerous chapters in widely-used plastic surgery textbooks. Dr. Newman has been featured in many national newspapers, national magazines, and television programs.
With a location in Connecticut right outside of New York, cosmetic surgeon Fredric Newman extends his services to everyone, from the rich and famous to the impoverished. He has also served as the official plastic surgeon of the New York Rangers.
After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Otake received his medical education at Yale University with an additional PhD in Cell Biology and Biochemistry.
He completed his plastic surgery residency training under the direction of Dr. John Persing at Yale New Haven Hospital. Dr. Otake then did his fellowship training, specializing in Reconstructive Microsurgery including the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap at Stanford University. In addition to breast reconstruction, Dr. Otake has an interest in complex reconstructive procedures and tissue engineering.
Dr. Otake is active in sharing his expertise with organizations dedicated to the application and delivery of plastic surgery care to patients around the world. In collaboration with Operation Smile, he is undertaking one of the largest studies to date in search of genes responsible for cleft lip and palate.
He has authored articles on telemedicine technologies to facilitate delivery of expert care to distant global sites, collaborating with surgeons in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Nepal and Zambia. Dr. Otake has joined teams of surgeons to deliver surgical services to the Amazon region of Brazil, Honduras and Jordan.
After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Otake received his medical education at Yale University with a in addition PhD in Cell Biology and Biochemistry. He completed his plastic surgery residency training under the direction of Dr. John Persing at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Job Titles:
- Certified Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Liu is a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery, breast reconstruction, and complex reconstruction.
He graduated with an M.D. from Yale Medical School and summa cum laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in computer science and biochemical sciences. He has vast experience in research, projects and publications relating to many aspects of plastic surgery. He is double board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and by the American Board of Surgery. As a testament to his expertise in maxillofacial aesthetics and reconstruction, Dr. Liu is Chief of Maxillofacial Surgery at Norwalk Hospital and Saint Mary's Hospital.
He completed his hand and microsurgery fellowship at Yale University in the Section of Plastic Surgery, and his plastic surgery residency at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There, the curriculum included general reconstruction, microsurgery, pediatric and craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, burn wound reconstruction, laser procedures, anesthesiology, and aesthetic surgery. He completed general surgery residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston where he was appointed Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School and treated patients in a Level 1 trauma center and tertiary referral hospital on a variety of services, including abdominal transplantation, hepatobiliary surgery, pancreaticobiliary surgery, general surgery, trauma and acute care surgery, critical care, endoscopy, surgical oncology, endocrine surgery, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, bariatric surgery, vascular surgery, and plastic surgery.
Job Titles:
- Specialist With a Masters of Science
Holly Thiel is our highly educated Anesthetist Specialist with a Masters of Science in this field from Columbia University. After obtaining her Master's degree, Holly started her own anaesthesia practice in New York City and that's when her career in the medical industry began. In fact, her career path was shaped after speaking with a plastic surgeon at a friend's wedding who enlightened her on the field of anesthesia. 17 years later Holly still thoroughly enjoys what she does and finds being an Anesthesia professional is a most rewarding career. She loves everything about her role - the responsibility and care for the patient, the constant learning challenges. She considers becoming a CRNA was one of the best decisions in her life.
Holly considers the North East and particularly Connecticut the perfect place to live. Being just a short drive from NYC while at the same time having the opportunity to visit the slopes of New England, it's the best of both worlds. Outside the office Holly enjoys spending time with her husband and two children as well as their large goldendoodle, Simba.
Leslie is our Patient Coordinator at The Aesthetic Center since 2007. Having been in the medical field for almost 30 years she has had the pleasure of helping many patients over the course of her career, including working with breast cancer patients as well as those who are in transition to become their true selves and seeing them move gracefully through their journey.
She has lived a worldly early life, moving to Amsterdam at a young age where she lived for some years before moving back to the US to live in New England. She has a great love for Connecticut, New England for it's quaintness, four seasons and being close to the ocean.
She and her wife, Joanne, have two lovable rescue pups - Peaches and Panda - who keep them laughing and on their toes! Outside the office, Leslie and Joanne love to spend time with their four nephews, or having some quiet time with a good book or enjoying an engaging game of Mahjong!
Lori Dastoli joined The Aesthetics Center in 2013 as Front Desk Coordinator. She is a 1983 graduate of JM Wright Tech and has been in her field of expertise for 10 years. Lori enjoys cooking, reading, spending time with family, and going to the beach. She is married to her husband, Tony, and they have two children, Nicole and Anthony. Lori was born and raised in Stamford and loves the quiet wooded neighborhood she lives in. She is motivated and inspired by the patient interaction at The Aesthetics Center, seeing patients from consult to follow-up with positive results. Lori strives to make every patient/client feel comfortable and satisfied with their experience.
Job Titles:
- Registered Nurse at the Aesthetics Center
Shannon LaPerche is a Registered Nurse at The Aesthetics Center. She specializes in pre and postoperative care, as well as recovery. Shannon graduated from Mount Saint Mary College in 2018 and has been working in plastics and reconstructive surgery for 4 years. With a passion for helping patients feel their best after overcoming breast cancer, Shannon went on to receive advanced training in cancer reconstructive surgery. New York is where she is originally from but currently resides in Westchester County. In her free time, Shannon loves to travel and spend time with family and friends. She is an animal lover and has two dogs, Bentley and Sadie. Shannon's goal is to provide every patient with compassionate care and personalized attention.
Tracy is our friendly and efficient Front Desk Manager. She has always loved the fields of fashion and aesthetics and this is what drew her to work at The Aesthetics Center. Tracy is a Pratt Institute trained fashion designer with 10 years of experience working with numerous designers on 7th Avenue. She was born and raised in New Canaan, lived in NYC for 10 years then moved to Princeton where she and her husband raised their son and daughter.
Tracy loves working at The Aesthetic Center and assisting patients on a daily basis as well as working with amazing surgeons and wonderful coworkers who make coming to work every day a joy.
Outside of work Tracy enjoys gardening, skiing, cooking, sewing and spending time with her husband, son, and daughter.