Dr. Melissa Castro Rivadeneira was born in Quito, Ecuador. She earned her MD from Universidad Científica del Sur Facultad de Medicina Humana in Lima, Peru, and she continued to grow her academic career during residency at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, FL.

Between medical school and residency, Dr. Castro served for nearly two years as a research fellow in the Division of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Duke University. She enjoys being active in a variety of ways, including playing on a women's soccer team and training for a half-marathon. Dr. Castro also enjoys playing the piano, guitar, cooking, and hiking.