Dr. Rene Sotelo remembers a time in grade school when he put on a white coat and pretended that he was a scientist.

“I knew from a young age that I was destined to be a doctor,” he said. “Since then, I dreamed of healing people and giving them the ability to live healthy and to the fullest.”

Rene was born in Caracas, Venezuela where he completed his undergraduate degree. Then he attended medical school at the Universidad Central de Venezuela and specialized in urology, which deals with the urinary tract of males and females, and male reproductive organs. He practiced medicine in Venezuela for many years before being recruited by the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, where he has been a faculty member at the Department of Urology for the past three years.

Rene said he’s a big fan of TED Talks and enjoys learning about a wide range of topics and hearing about the experiences of people from around the world. He said he was particularly inspired by TEDxPasadena’s event because of the opportunity it would provide to make people aware of diseases and disease outcomes that can be changed based on education, awareness, proper hygiene, and early diagnosis.

“As a physician, it is imperative that we share the knowledge we have of things that can be done to lower the risk of developing a common type of cancer, like the one I will be discussing in my talk,” he said. “Education about risks, signs, and symptoms can assist in early diagnosis and treatment at a lower stage and prevent the spread of disease.”

When he takes the stage on Sept. 22, Rene will be talking about a disease that is that is fairly common among males.

“It is one that affects males only, but educating both males and females about the disease will help with early detection and also disease prevention in their loves ones,” he said.

Rene says he’s confident that his talk will create awareness about the disease he will be discussing and how we can work together toward cancer prevention.

You can learn more about Rene’s professional accomplishments here.