Kristen Aliano Messina, MD is the plastic surgeon at our flagship location at the Star in Frisco, Texas. She is dedicated to the safe and ethical practice of her profession and feels it is a true privilege to be entrusted with the care of another individual. In addition, she is passionate about translational research and scientific discovery.
Dr. Aliano Messina grew up on Long Island, New York. In high school, she conducted genetics and molecular biology research for three years at the internationally-renown Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; she was a Partner for the Future in her senior year. She then went on to Cornell University, where she earned a B.A. in biological sciences with a concentration in neurobiology and behavior; she was also given the honor of being a Rawlings Cornell Presidential Research Scholar.
She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, and with Distinction in All Subjects in 3.5 years. After her early graduation from college, she went on to work at Pfizer’s world headquarters in Manhattan as a Clinical Trials Associate where she helped to run international clinical trials. She then graduated #1 in her class from the State University of New York School of Medicine with an M.D. with Recognition.
She was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society in her third year and was elected to the Gold Foundation Humanism Honor Society. Dr. Aliano Messina completed her intern year in general surgery at Stony Brook University Medical Center. After her first year of residency, she went on to complete a two-year research fellowship at the Long Island Plastic Surgery Group. During this time, she published multiple scientific papers, earned two grants, did over 100 poster presentations, and gave over 15 oral presentations at scientific meetings. She then returned to Stony Brook for her second clinical year of general surgery training. After, she moved to Texas and completed her third through sixth clinical years of training in the integrated plastic surgery program at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Dr. Aliano Messina lives in Frisco with her husband, daughter, and goldendoodle. In her free time, she enjoys ballet, Pilates, travelling, art, museums, and spending time with her family.