After a courageous battle with Lymphoma, longtime ULSD faculty member Dr. Brian Alpert passed away at his home on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

Dr. Alpert trained a generation of oral and maxillofacial surgeons and other dental professionals. He joined ULSD in 1973 and led the oral and maxillofacial surgery program for decades.

Dr. George Kushner, a former student of Dr. Alpert’s who now leads the oral and maxillofacial surgery program, says Dr. Alpert was a “great leader, educator, surgeon and friend” whose contributions to the university, the community of Louisville, the state of Kentucky and specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery cannot be fully measured. However, Kushner says the personal relationships he made were perhaps the most important legacy. “Brian is extremely proud of his residents … his surgical progeny. He is affectionately known to his residents as ‘The Boss.’ All of us have special memories of our time together.”

School of Dentistry dean Gerry Bradley says Dr. Alpert was a mentor not just to students, but to him. “When I came to ULSD in 2016, Brian went out of his way to educate me so much on the history of the school and of Louisville itself.”

Dr. Alpert was born in Southern California and grew up in Lake Placid, New York. He received his B.A. from University College of New York University in 1963 and is a 1967 graduate of the School of Dental & Oral Surgery program at Columbia University. He did his residency in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Long Island Jewish Medical Center - Queens Hospital Center. Following training, he served in the U. S. Army Dental Corps at both the 121st Evacuation Hospital in Korea and Womack Army Hospital at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

He began his academic career at the University of Illinois. In 1973 he joined the faculty at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry as Associate Professor and Director of the Advanced Training Program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. At that time, he was the youngest oral and maxillofacial surgery program director in the country. Dr. Alpert was promoted to Professor in 1978 and he became Chairman and Chief at University Hospital in 1987.

Not solely an academic, Dr. Alpert maintained an active, full-scope private practice. He earned the status of Diplomate, Fellow or member of virtually all U.S. professional organizations pertaining to his specialty or dental education and has held leadership positions in most.

He has authored over 70 scientific publications and has lectured throughout the world on topics including craniomaxillofacial trauma, craniofacial and dentofacial deformity correction, management of odontogenic tumors, maxillofacial reconstruction, dental anesthesiology, implantology and OMFS education.

Dr. Alpert's family chose not to have public memorial services. More details are available in his obituary. 

Published August 25, 2021
Updated August 30, 2021