Some of you may remember Dr. Raphael de Souza from his year spent at the Faculty of Dentistry as a Visiting Professor between August 2009 and September 2010. It is with pride and pleasure that we welcome him back to our Faculty, this time as Associate Professor. Unlike some people in his field who specialize either in clinical practice or research, Dr. de Souza strives to bridge the gap between the two spheres. “I have one foot in the clinic and one foot in research,” he illustrates. He likes to describe himself as a clinician-scientist, focusing on the provision and maintenance of treatment for edentulous patients. His involvement in the development of clinical studies has been continuous since obtaining his PhD, and has provided him with experience in the coordination of randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews. His year as Visiting Professor was very influential in his decision to come back to McGill. Dr. de Souza explains he wanted to reach different professional horizons, with research more applicable to real-life scenarios. He was impressed with the quality of research he encountered and praised the professional orders of Canada for “keeping a high level of quality of treatment in the dental professions.” Although one of the reasons for his move was a desire for a better quality of life for him and his family, Dr. de Souza points out he didn’t have any romantic expectations of Canada. “It was based on concrete experience; there were no surprises,” he explains with a smile. He stops and adds: “Well, there was maybe one surprise.” Before his year as Visiting Professor, he was told he could easily get by in Montreal, especially at McGill, knowing little to no French. While this was true for the University campus, he quickly felt the need to better communicate in French and has since made it his goal to become fluent. “The city really opens up to you when you speak French,” he mentions. When asked if there’s something he’d like people to know about him, Dr. de Souza replies with a laugh: “I am not a typical Brazilian! I’m not afraid of Canadian winters.” In fact, he’s not fond of the hot Brazilian weather. What about futebol? “I’m not a soccer fan either. Hockey looks more dynamic!”