Ricardo is the Kaneda Distinguished Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry. He joined UNC in 2002 after completing a Head and Neck Pathology Fellowship at The University of Texas Health Science Center and an oral pathology residency at The University of Florida. From 2006 to 2024, he served as the Residency Director of Oral Pathology, with a clinical focus on diagnosing oral soft tissue lesions and jaw diseases through biopsy specimen analysis and patient consultations in the clinic. Dr. Ricardo currently serves as a Director of the Board of the ABOMP until 2030 and has chaired the AAOMP Fellowship Examination. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Triple-O and regularly reviews for several academic journals. He has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, and frequently speaks at state, national, and international conferences.