Dr. Hamdan is President and Co-Founder of Global Smile Foundation, a 501C3 Boston-based non-profit foundation that provides comprehensive and integrated pro bono cleft care for underserved patients throughout the world. He has been involved with outreach cleft programs for over the past 36 years. Dr. Hamdan is an Otolaryngologist/Facial Plastic Surgeon with former university appointments at Harvard Medical School, Tufts University School of Medicine and Boston University School of Medicine.

He has special interests in simulation-based cleft training, empowerment & sustainability initiatives for providing comprehensive cleft care as well as quality assurance strategies.

For his philanthropic service to the people of Ecuador, he was awarded the Knighthood, “Al Merito Atahualpa” En El Grado De Caballero, by the President of Ecuador in March 2005. He received Honorary Professorship at Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, School of Medicine, in Ecuador on March 5, 2015 for his contributions in the field of Cleft Lip and Palate.

Corstiaan Breugem is professor in the Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgery at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is pediatric plastic surgeon working in the Emma Children’s Hospital in Amsterdam. He is also director of Interplast Holland. This NGO help plastic surgery unit’s in Low Income Countries create durable and long lasting care, by training, inspiring and funding plastic surgeons to provide care in their own region. After obtaining his registration as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Amsterdam, he did a pediatric plastic surgery fellowship in Vancouver, Canada 2005/2006. In 2003 he finished his PhD in vascular malformations. After working Utrecht for 12 years, he started working again in Amsterdam in 2019.

He has published > 140 peer reviewed articles and has given > 100 international presentations. He has performed > 1000 cleft surgeries. He was initiator of the International Cleft Palate Dissection course. He was also coordinator and initiator of the international Robin sequence consensus meetings in 2014 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. He is member of the Dutch Association of Plastic Surgeons (NVPC), Dutch Association of Cleft Palate / Craniofacial anomalies (NVSCA), American Cleft Palate Association (ACPA), International Cleft lip/palate Foundation (ICPF) and International Society for Auricular Reconstruction (ISAR).

He is President of the Dutch Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association and vice-president of the European Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association. His research interests include surgical simulation, global health, and improving our understanding in embryology and anatomy of clefts. He has a special interest in Robin sequence.

Dr. Joseph E. Losee is the Ross H. Musgrave Endowed Professor of Pediatric Plastic Surgery and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  He served as the Program Director for the Plastic Surgery Residency for over a decade.  He is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, where he is also the Director of the interdisciplinary Pittsburgh Cleft-Craniofacial Center.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the University of Pittsburgh Physicians, as a member of the UPMC GME DIO team, a member of the UPMC Physician Wellness Initiative, as an Advisory Dean of Students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. 

Dr. Losee graduated AOA from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1994.  He completed a residency in Plastic Surgery at the University of Rochester and a fellowship in Craniofacial Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania.  He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Losee has served on the American Board of Plastic Surgery for six years, and currently is Chair of the Board. He is the Vice President (Education) of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and serves on the ACGME Plastic Surgery Residency Review Committee (RRC).  He is Past-President of the: American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons, Robert H. Ivy Society, Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Society of Pediatric Plastic Surgery.  He serves on numerous Boards of Directors of national societies within Academic Plastic Surgery, including the American Society of Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgery, and the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery.  As well, Dr. Losee serves on the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine.

He has edited 6 text books including, “Comprehensive Cleft Care”, the authoritative text on Cleft Surgery in its second edition, and “Pediatric Plastic Surgery”, of the multi-volume “Plastic Surgery” text.  Dr. Losee has authored over 175 peer-reviewed articles and 40 book chapters.  His federally funded research is focused on bone and suture regulation, as well as skull defects in infants; and, he has been Co-PI of an NIH RO1 clinical grant investigating the treatment of ear disease in cleft palate patients.  He has given over 110 invited lectures and has been a visiting professor at over 40 national and international universities.

Dr. Vyas is a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in cleft, craniofacial, and maxillofacial surgery. His clinical interests include cleft and complex rhinoplasty, facial reanimation surgery for facial paralysis, and pediatric microsurgical reconstruction. He is active in clinical, basic science, and translational research, including tissue engineering, craniofacial implant design, global outreach, surgical anatomy education, and use of AR/VR/3D surgical technologies. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, presented nationally and internationally on cleft and craniofacial care, and provides committee service and leadership to several national and international organizations and academic societies.

Dr. Vyas obtained his BS from Stanford University with Honors and Distinction and his MD from UCLA, where he graduated first in his class (Stafford L. Warren Medal) and first in Surgery (The Longmire Medal). He completed plastic surgery training in the Harvard Combined Plastic Surgery Residency Program and Craniofacial Surgery fellowship at New York University’s Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery.

Maria Costanza Meazzini acquired a Specialty in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and a Master in Medical Sciences at Harvard University, Boston in 1995.

She achieved a Cranio-Facial and Surgical Orthodontic Fellowship at University of Illinois at Chicago in 1996. She then completed in 1997 three short fellowships at Gea-Gonzalez Hospital, Mexico City, then at Chung Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei and at Tokio Medical Dental University, Tokyo.

She is presently Scientific Director and Orthodontic Coordinator at the Smile House of Milano, CLP Center, Santi Paolo e Carlo Hospital in Milano and Consultant for cranio-facial anomalies at the Department of Cranio Maxillo Facial Surgery, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza

She has published over 100 papers and book chapters in National and International literature and presented Internationally on the treatment and long-term follow-up of children affected by cleft and craniofacial anomalies.

Her book “Craniofacial Anomalies: Orthodontic Surgical-Coordination” edited by Martina Ed. in 2011 was sold in over 30 countries.

She is Adjunct Professor in Pre-surgical Orthodontics and Orthodontics for Craniofacial Anomalies, for the residencies in Maxillofacial Surgery and in Orthodontics at University of Milano.

She is Representative in the CRANIO-European Reference Network (ERN-CRANIO).

Past President of the Italian Society for Cleft Lip and Palate (SILPS).

She is now President of the European Cleft Lip and Palate Craniofacial Association (ECPCA).

Ann Kummer, MAT, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA retired as Senior Director of the Division of Speech-Language Pathology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (the largest pediatric SLP program in the nation). She is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine.

Dr. Kummer has done over 300 national and international lectures and seminars in the areas of cleft palate, velopharyngeal dysfunction, and even business practices in speech-language pathology. She taught a graduate level craniofacial course at 5 universities for many years. She is the author of numerous professional articles, 31 book chapters, and 4 books including Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Conditions: A Comprehensive Guide to Clinical Management, 4th Edition. She was the developer of the Simplified Nasometric Assessment Procedures (SNAP) test that is incorporated in the Nasometer software (PENTAX Medical), and she holds a patent on the Nasoscope.

Dr. Kummer has received numerous honors and awards. In 2017, she received Honors of the Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the highest award given by the association.

Martin Persson is a professor of health sciences at Kristianstad University, Sweden. One of his primary research interests is working with individuals with visible differences or negative body image concerning psychosocial and public health aspects. He has extensive knowledge of working with socially disadvantaged groups across Europe as well as specialising in the methodological and pedagogical development of courses ranging from basic to advance level in psychology, public health and health education. Martin is passionate about developing training programs and knowledge mobilisation activities based on evidence-based research in order to reach relevant stakeholders. He has considerable experience in coordinating and managing over 40 international projects and has attracted over €11 million in funding to support activities in psychosocial, health and educational areas.

He has a PhD in Medicine, Masters Degrees in Public Health and Psychology, and his research has been published in academic peer-review journals and over the last 15 years facilitated a variety of keynotes, lectures, workshops and symposiums for professionals, students and users in his areas of expertise in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Currently, he is also the Chair of the EU COST Action CA16234 “European Cleft and Craniofacial Initiative for Equality in Care”, a Horizon 2020 funded network of researchers and practitioners from 26 European countries.

CURRENT JOB SITUATION
● Head of the Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit at the Sant Joan de Déu Maternal and Maxillofacial
Hospital.
● Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine in the Degree in Dentistry of the Universitat Internacional de
Catalunya.
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
● Specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona (December 2012-January
2015).
● Specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the Balearic Service of Maxillofacial Surgery at the Can
Misses Hospital in Ibiza and collaboration with the Hospital Universitari Son Espases de Palma de Mallorca
(June 2011-November 2012)
● Head of Department of Oral Medicine, Preventive and Public Health in the Degree in Dentistry of the
International University of Catalonia (2016-2018).

Dr. Johnson received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Old Dominion University. He also attended Texas A&M University Health Science Center to complete his PhD in Neuroscience. He then attended medical school at Texas Tech University School of Medicine. He completed residence in Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgery at the University of Oklahoma and a Pediatric Otolaryngology fellowship at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Johnson is board certified in Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgery. Dr. Johnson is a current member of the Cleft, Vascular, Velopharyngeal dysfunction and Craniofacial teams. Additionally, Dr. Johnson is committed to providing cleft care to underserved populations and has volunteered his time and surgical skills on mission trips in other countries to provide free cleft lip and palate care.

Dr. Picard is also responsible for the National Reference Center for the treatment of clefts and facial malformations and coordinates the national network. Its clinical activity is focused on facial malformations, vascular pathologies, and tumors. He leads a multidisciplinary team taking charge of more than 200 new cases of clefts per year. He is a member of the national tete cou network, and a member of the ERN cranio.

Dr. Picard has authored more than 150 articles, and numerous lectures.

• Works in the Pediatric Plastic Surgery Unit at Gregorio Marañón University Hospital and directs a private Aesthetic Surgery Unit at Hospital Universitario La Luz, Madrid.
• Graduated in Medicine from the Autónoma University, Madrid.
• Residency training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Getafe University Hospital, Madrid.
• D, “magna cum laude”, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
• Fellowships in Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Children’s Hospital, Harvard University, Boston with Prof. John Mulliken and in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery with Dr. Rafael de la Plaza, Madrid, Spain, to whom she is the successor in the practice.
• Assistant Professor at the Division of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Complutense University, Madrid.
• EBOPRAS lecturer and examiner.
• Member of major international societies.
• Secretary General of the Spanish Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (SECPRE) 2005-2009. Current Vicepresident elect.
• EURAPS President 2016-2017.
• Current Council member of the Spanish Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (AECEP).
• Author of 53 papers and several book-chapters.
• Regular invited speaker in national and international conferences.

Dr. Bonnie Padwa received her DMD from Harvard School of Dental Medicine and her MD from Harvard Medical School. After finishing her oral and maxillofacial surgery training at the Massachusetts General Hospital she completed a craniofacial surgery fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Padwa is an Associate Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She is the Leonard B. Kaban DMD, MD Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Oral Surgeon-in-Chief at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Padwa has a special interest in treating patients with cleft and craniofacial deformities and her clinical research is centered around this patient population. She has authored more than 150 scientific articles and book chapters and has lectured both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Sommerlad was previously President of the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland (1996) and the President of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (1998). His awards include an Honorary Doctorate of Science (Med) from University College, London, and Honorary Fellowships at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Sri Lankan College of Surgeons, and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists. He holds an Honorary Membership of The British Orthodontic Society and a Hunterian Professorship of The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
He was previously a member of the Clinical Standards Advisory Board (CSAG) on Cleft Lip and Palate and the CSAG Implementation Group. He was Co-Founder and Chairman of the charity CLEFT(www.cleft.org.uk). He regularly works with surgeons in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Iran, Egypt and the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq. He has published extensively, particularly on palate surgery and function.

Dr. Rogers-Vizena is a pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, completed her Plastic Surgery residency at the University of Wisconsin, and a Craniofacial Surgery fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her clinical areas of focus include cleft lip and palate, velopharyngeal dysfunction, and craniofacial disorders. She has been involved in cleft lip and palate research for over a decade, beginning with a research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Her current research parallels her
clinical interests, with an emphasis on cleft lip and palate outcomes. As part of that work, Dr. Rogers-Vizena is Scientific Co-Chair for the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement Cleft Lip and Palate benchmarking program. In addition, she is highly engaged in the Boston Children’s Hospital Simulator Program and holds the appointments of Associate Clinical Director for Plastic and Oral Surgery and Special Effects and Materials Science.

Dr Raposo-Amaral is the chief of Craniofacial Surgery fellowship at SOBRAPAR Hospital. He is a leading plastic and craniofacial surgeon in Brazil and, with his brother Cesar Augusto Raposo-Amaral who is also plastic surgeon, consolidated a pilgrimage of congenital patients from all over the country to Campinas-Brazil, where SOBRAPAR is located. He has authored more than 100 articles in English and Portuguese literature including important ones about orbital translocation in hypertelorism, 21 book chapters and edited Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment: A Comprehensive Guide, a book recently published by Springer.

He is a member of 7 Professional Societies, including the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, Brazilian Association of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Brazilian Cleft Palate Association, Brazilian Burn Society, International member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery and Active member of the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery.  He was a recipient of 13 awards of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery and Brazilian Association of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery.  Currently, Dr. Raposo was reelected for President of the Brazilian Association of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery (2018-2020). He organized The Latin American Craniofacial Congress that gathered more than 200 international professionals and more than 500 participants. The Congress was held in São Paulo-Brazil in 2018.

Dr. Charanya Vijayakumar is a Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon and a Clinical and Research Fellow in Cleft, Craniofacial & Facial Plastic Surgery at Sri Ramachandra University. She also has clinical experience in pediatric dentistry and dental care for children with cleft. She is involved in clinical research on cleft children with velopharyngeal incompetence and currently having two grants in India: The notable Lady Tata Memorial Trust Grant & the institutional GATE grant. She has also been a part of a prestigious Government of India Project on Safety Protocols for Dental Procedures in India. Her passion is to treat and rehabilitate children with cleft and craniofacial deformities.

Dr. Runyan received his undergraduate degree in Microbiology from Brigham Young University. He then attended the Medical Scientist Training Program at University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, receiving a PhD in Molecular and Developmental Biology. After completing medical school, he remained at the University of Cincinnati for integrated plastic surgery training. He then completed a craniofacial surgery fellowship at the Hansjorg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at New York University. He is currently an assistant professor at Wake Forest University, and the Program Director for the Integrated Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery residency. Dr. Runyan’s clinical focus includes cleft and craniofacial anomalies. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers. His research interests include tissue engineering, distraction osteogenesis, craniofacial developmental biology and outcomes and global outreach.

Professor in Plastic Surgery
Chief, Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Emma Children’s Hospital,
Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
President, Dutch Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association
Vice-President, European Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association
President, Interplast Holland
The Netherlands

Corstiaan Breugem is professor in the Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgery at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is pediatric plastic surgeon working in the Emma Children’s Hospital in Amsterdam. He is also director of Interplast Holland. This NGO help plastic surgery unit’s in Low Income Countries create durable and long lasting care, by training, inspiring and funding plastic surgeons to provide care in their own region. After obtaining his registration as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Amsterdam, he did a pediatric plastic surgery fellowship in Vancouver, Canada 2005/2006. In 2003 he finished his PhD in vascular malformations. After working Utrecht for 12 years, he started working again in Amsterdam in 2019.

He has published > 140 peer reviewed articles and has given > 100 international presentations. He has performed > 1000 cleft surgeries. He was initiator of the International Cleft Palate Dissection course. He was also coordinator and initiator of the international Robin sequence consensus meetings in 2014 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. He is member of the Dutch Association of Plastic Surgeons (NVPC), Dutch Association of Cleft Palate / Craniofacial anomalies (NVSCA), American Cleft Palate Association (ACPA), International Cleft lip/palate Foundation (ICPF) and International Society for Auricular Reconstruction (ISAR).

He is President of the Dutch Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association and vice-president of the European Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association. His research interests include surgical simulation, global health, and improving our understanding in embryology and anatomy of clefts. He has a special interest in Robin sequence.

Dr. Tanikawa is an attending surgeon in Hospital Municipal Infantil Menino Jesus – Institutode Responsabilidade Sírio-Libanês, an Assistant Professor at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine and a research physician at Instituto Sírio-Libanês de Ensino e Pesquisa.
She obtained her MD, completed the plastic and reconstructive surgery program, receivedfellowship training in craniofacial surgery, and holds a PhD from the University of São Paulo School of Medicine. Since 2014 she is a Smile Train partner, and in 2019 she became member of the Brazilian Medical Advisory Council of Smile Train. Her clinical and research areas of focus include cleft lip and palate, ear reconstruction and tissue engineering strategies.

Dr. David Chong is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon committed to the care of those affected by facial deformities. He graduated from The University of Western Australia in 1995. He is the current President of the Australasian Cleft Lip and Palate Society, and volunteers three months a year with Operation Smile and Mercy Ships. He has recently taken on a paid role with Operation Smile overseeing their commitment to education and outcomes.

David’s passion is correcting facial and skull deformities in children and is particularly known for his work in cleft lip and palate. He holds a clinical appointment at Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne Australia. He has authored numerous article and book chapters on cleft lip/palate, craniofacial and salivary control surgery.

David W. Low, MD is Professor of Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Attending Surgeon in the Division of Plastic Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, he completed all of his surgical training at Penn and was privileged to learn cleft care under the mentorship of Don LaRossa and Peter Randall. He is the medical director of his CHOP-based international cleft team Smiles for Guatemala.  In addition to his teaching and patient care responsibilities, he is a board-certified medical illustrator whose work appears in many medical journals and textbooks.

Dr. David Zopf is an Associate Professor in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and Affiliate Professor in Biomedical Engineering. He also is the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pathway of Excellence at University of Michigan Medical School.

Dr. Steinbacher is a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon who specializes in cleft, craniofacial, and maxillofacial surgery. His clinical interests also include cosmetic surgery of the face and body, rhinoplasty, facial reanimation for palsy, and facial reconstruction. His research encompasses tissue engineering and regeneration, fat grafting, distraction osteogenesis, stress shielding, and 3-dimensional analysis and planning.

Dr. Steinbacher obtained his MD from Harvard Medical School and his DMD from the University of Pennsylvania, both with honors. He received fellowship training in craniofacial surgery from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, completed the plastic and reconstructive surgery program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and trained in oral/maxillofacial and general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Hans Mark, has been a consultant in Plastic surgery in Sweden since 1997, and did a Fellowship at Bernard O’Brian Institute of Microsurgery, Melbourne, Australien 1999 and was then Head of Microsurgery, Department of Plastic Surgery, Sahlgrenska  University Hospital,  Göteborg. He has been National Liason, WSRM, World Society Reconstructive Microsurgery. In 2004 he finished a PhD degree in Gothenburg University in ¨Experimental Studies on fracture healing. Biological and biomechanical aspects¨ He was also the director of studies in Plastic surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital between 2006 and 2010 and he is a Senior Surgeon.

Since 2011 he is Head of Cleft-Lip and Palate team, Sahlgrenska Univeristy Hospital in Gothenburg and since 2017 Associate Professor at Department of Plastic Surgery , Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Sciences at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He has been a board member of Swedish Association of Plastic Surgeons and Swedish Association of Cleft Surgeons as well as President of 10^th European Craniofacial Congress, 2015 and is since then Vice President, European Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association, ECPCA. He is also representative in ERN, European reference network as well as ECCE, European Cleft and Craniofacial initiative for Equality in Care. He is a member of Operation Smile and is in involved in several cleft care program in India, Indonesia and Rumania. He is also a partner of the private practice in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Akademikliniken, Sweden.

Jordan Swanson is a craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgeon, and holds the Linton Whitaker
Endowed Chair of Craniofacial Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of
Pennsylvania. He specializes clinically in cleft lip and palate repair, cranial vault and facial
reconstruction, craniomaxillofacial distraction osteogenesis, rhinoplasty, otoplasty, orthognathic and
maxillo-mandibular procedures, and microsurgery in children and adults. His research team works to
refine new technology and techniques of bone distraction, novel methods for noninvasively
measuring intracranial pressure, technology-driven simulation tools, and better identify
socioeconomic disparities in the origins and outcomes of cleft and craniofacial conditions and
interventions to potentially mitigate them. Prior to his current appointment in Philadelphia, he lived
and worked in Nicaragua where he helped develop a comprehensive cleft center and rural surgical
outreach programs in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Operation Smile. He currently
works with several cleft teams in lower resource settings to advance surgical and comprehensive
care, including programs in orthognathic surgery, and edited the recently-published Global Cleft
Care in Low-Resource Settings.

CURRENT JOB SITUATION
● Head of the Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit at the Sant Joan de Déu Maternal and Maxillofacial
Hospital.
● Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine in the Degree in Dentistry of the Universitat Internacional de
Catalunya.
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
● Specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona (December 2012-January
2015).
● Specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the Balearic Service of Maxillofacial Surgery at the Can
Misses Hospital in Ibiza and collaboration with the Hospital Universitari Son Espases de Palma de Mallorca
(June 2011-November 2012)
● Head of Department of Oral Medicine, Preventive and Public Health in the Degree in Dentistry of the
International University of Catalonia (2016-2018).

Dr. Joseph E. Losee is the Ross H. Musgrave Endowed Professor of Pediatric Plastic Surgery and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  He served as the Program Director for the Plastic Surgery Residency for over a decade.  He is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, where he is also the Director of the interdisciplinary Pittsburgh Cleft-Craniofacial Center.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the University of Pittsburgh Physicians, as a member of the UPMC GME DIO team, a member of the UPMC Physician Wellness Initiative, as an Advisory Dean of Students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. 

Dr. Losee graduated AOA from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1994.  He completed a residency in Plastic Surgery at the University of Rochester and a fellowship in Craniofacial Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania.  He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Losee has served on the American Board of Plastic Surgery for six years, and currently is Chair of the Board. He is the Vice President (Education) of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and serves on the ACGME Plastic Surgery Residency Review Committee (RRC).  He is Past-President of the: American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons, Robert H. Ivy Society, Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Society of Pediatric Plastic Surgery.  He serves on numerous Boards of Directors of national societies within Academic Plastic Surgery, including the American Society of Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgery, and the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery.  As well, Dr. Losee serves on the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine.

He has edited 6 text books including, “Comprehensive Cleft Care”, the authoritative text on Cleft Surgery in its second edition, and “Pediatric Plastic Surgery”, of the multi-volume “Plastic Surgery” text.  Dr. Losee has authored over 175 peer-reviewed articles and 40 book chapters.  His federally funded research is focused on bone and suture regulation, as well as skull defects in infants; and, he has been Co-PI of an NIH RO1 clinical grant investigating the treatment of ear disease in cleft palate patients.  He has given over 110 invited lectures and has been a visiting professor at over 40 national and international universities.

Dr. Patel joined the Medical University of South Carolina department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 2008, and was named the Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2010. She attended Columbia University in New York City for her undergraduate education. She then earned M.D. and Ph.D. degrees through the combined program at the Medical College of Georgia, where she was awarded the “Excellence in Research” award. Dr. Patel completed a residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Following residency, she pursued fellowship training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of California, Davis.

Dr. Patel is double-board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She actively participates in volunteer medical trips to third world countries to provide care to the medically underserved. She travels annually to both Ecuador and El Salvador where she operates on children with cleft lips and palates. Here in the United States, Dr. Patel is one of the main cleft surgeons and a member of the MUSC Craniofacial Anomalies and Cleft Palate Center.

Dr. Larry Hartzell grew up in Colorado, Nevada and Arizona in the USA.   He then attended Brigham Young University in Utah where he received his undergraduate degree in Zoology with a human biology emphasis in 2001.  However, after his first year of college, he set aside his schooling for 2 years to serve a mission for his church in Barranquilla, Colombia where he also became fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Hartzell earned his medical degree at The University of Arizona College of Medicine in 2005 where he was also nominated into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.  He then went to Arkansas where he completed his residency program and is board certified in Otolaryngology (ENT) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). 

During medical school and then to a greater degree in residency, Dr. Hartzell became drawn to children born with cleft lip and palate among other congenital anomalies.  After residency, he elected to stay in Arkansas to pursue a two-year fellowship-training program in Pediatric Otolaryngology, which included an extensive experience in the comprehensive care of cleft patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH).  He then was recruited by UAMS to direct the cleft lip and palate team as an Assistant Professor initially and now is recognized as a tenured Associate Professor and is also the Pediatric ENT Fellowship Director.

Education is very important to Dr. Hartzell and he dedicates time for educating his residents and fellows in addition to the medical students and other healthcare students and professionals around the world about topics in otolaryngology as well as cleft lip and palate care.  He has been an invited lecturer locally, nationally and internationally as well.

Dr. Hartzell is an active participant in multiple local as well as national committees.  He is academically active in research and has published many peer-reviewed articles as well as book chapters and educational materials. 

He is a member of numerous medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA), and the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.  His major research interests include cleft lip and palate surgical and clinical management and outcomes, velopharyngeal insufficiency, alveolar bone grafting and hemangiomas.

Dr Hartzell also has a passion for the care of the underserved especially those in foreign countries.  Dr. Hartzell has participated in humanitarian surgical teams in China, Guatemala, Ecuador and Egypt with a particular emphasis on treating cleft patients.  Larry is a devoted husband and proud father of 3 children.  He is an active member of his church where he provides regular voluntary service in different capacities. He loves outdoor activities including camping, hiking, soccer and volleyball as well as reading, watching movies and Lego! And to say he is a fan of Star Wars is an understatement.

Clinical Director

I was appointed Clinical Director for the Spires Cleft Centre for both Oxford and Salisbury in January 2022.

Having trained as a plastic surgeon within the Oxford Deanery, I undertook specialist cleft training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, and also at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

I undertake the primary surgical management of children referred to the Spires Cleft Centre and help to care for families from antenatal diagnosis to adulthood.

My interests include the wider scope of paediatric plastic surgery, trans-oral robotic cleft surgery and secondary cleft surgery including speech surgery and rhinoplasty. I am committed to training the cleft surgeons of the future – both here in the UK and in the developing world. I am also passionate about research, with a focus on improving aesthetic and functional outcomes in children with orofacial clefts, incorporating patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) into everyday clinical practice, and harnessing the potential for machine learning.

– Head, Plastic and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

– Medical School Graduation, Rio Grande do Sul Federal University (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS.

General Surgery Residency, Hospital de Clínicas, Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, Porto Alegre, RS. Head: Dr. José R. K. de Almeida.

– Plastic Surgery Residency, Hospital de Clínicas, Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, Porto Alegre, RS. Head: Dr. Rinaldo De Angeli Pinto.

– Plastic Surgery Fellowship, Clínica de Cirugia Plástica y Reconstructiva Prof. Jaime Planas, Barcelona, Spain, 1988. Head: Dr. Jaime Planas.

– Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship, Sección de Cirugia Craniomaxilofacial, Hospital Vall D’Hebron, Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 1989. Head: Dr. Lluis Tresserra Llauradó.

– Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship, Institute for Craniofacial and Reconstructive Surgery, Providence Hospital, Southfield, Michigan, USA, 1990. Head: Dr. Ian T. Jackson.

– Ph.D. Degree, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 1997. Directors: Prof. José Luis Pomar Moya-Prats and Prof. Wilma Penzo. Approved with honor, unanimously. Doctor in Medicine and Surgery.

– Associated Editor – Brazilian Journal of Plastic Surgery. ISSN 2177-1235. Official scientific publication of Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery.

– Former President, Brazilian Craniomaxillofacial Surgery Society.

Marcus Collares is the Head Professor in the Division of Plastic and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery at the Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, Porto Alegre, Brazil. He is a consultant for the Brazilian Ministery of Health regarding craniofacial anomalies. He has published more than 100 peer reviewed articles and has given more than 200 international presentations. His practice involves all areas of Craniofacial Surgery (skull base and facial reconstruction, orthognatic surgery, trauma and congenital anomalies). His main interest is in cleft lip and palate and Robin Sequence. In his 30 years of practice, he has performed more than 3000 cleft lip and palate surgeries. At Hospital de Clinicas, Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, he runs a Plastic Surgery Residency Program and a Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship Program that trained and graduated more than a 100 brazilians and foreign surgeons from Latin-America, Africa and Europe.

– Degree in Medicine and Surgery_ Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (1989)

– Specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery _ Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (1994)

– Degree in Dentistry_ Universitat de Barcelona (2000)

– Associate Professor in the Anatomy Unit of the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Morphological Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (1996-2014)

– Senior surgeon at the Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (since1996), and since 2014, head of the Pediatric Maxillofacial Surgery Unit

– Tutor of Maxillofacial Surgery trainees, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (2008-2012)

-Clinical Associate Professor of Maxillofacial Surgery at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

-Member of the Cleft lip and palate Committee and of the Craniofacial Malformations Committee, and participation in other Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron committees. Member of the Commission on Minority Diseases Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron.

-Member of the European Reference Network for Craniofacial Malformations and ENT (ERN CRANIO) since 2017, and of COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action CA16234_ European Cleft and Craniofacial Initiative for Equality in Care (2017-2022).

-Member of different societies: SCBCMO, SECOM, EACMFS, SOCEFF

-Member of the Spanish Society of Facial Fissures (SOCEFF), vice president (2019-2021) and president (since 2021).

-Participation in international cooperation in cleft lip and palate surgery

-From the Unit, we maintain a relationship with different patient associations, among which FÍCAT (Association of Fissures of Catalonia) stands out

-Organization and participation in several courses, in malformative pediatric pathology: Maxillary functional orthopedics and nasoalveolar modeling, Craniofacial surgery, and Velopharyngeal insufficiency of the cleft patient

Nasser Nadjmi was born on 27th of March 1965 in Tehran, Iran, where he lived until the age of 18. After finishing his high school in Iran and due to the post-revolution circumstances in his country he could not start the medical studies in Iran. He did the selection exams to get a scholarship to come to Belgium for nautical studies. Those exams took seven months and in the meanwhile he got the diploma of building surveying from a private institution in Tehran.

In October 1984 he came to Antwerp, Belgium, after being selected for the studies of merchant marine at the Higher Nautical College Antwerp.
He was graduated as an aspirant officer for merchant marine in July 1987.
In August of the same year he followed an intensive course on the Dutch language at ‘Instituut voor Levende Talen’ in Leuven, Belgium.
In September 1987, after a successful entrance exam, he was admitted at the dental school of the Catholic University of Leuven.
In September 1988 he was admitted to the Medical school of the same university and combined the medical and dental studies .
In June 1992 he got his dental degree and in June 1995 his medical degree from the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL).
In July 1995 he started his training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Saint John Hospital in Bruges, Belgium, which was affiliated with the KUL.
In July 1997 he was graduated as Stomatologist and in August of the same year he was granted a Chief Residency position at the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Houston, Texas, USA.
From December 1997 through March 1998 he functioned as a chief resident at the Department of Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery of the Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. He also had a three months rotation at the ENT department of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
After his return from the United States in August 1998 he started as a Chief Resident at The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Leuven, Belgium.
In July 1999 he was graduated as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon from KUL. After that and through December of the same year he followed a fellowship in Facial Plastic Surgery at the private clinic for Plastic Surgery of Dr. Backer and Dr. Stuzin in Miami, USA.

In January 2000 he joined the Craniofacial Association in Antwerp, Belgium. In the same year he founded the Cleft team at the University of Antwerp (UA). Since May 2010 he has become the coordinating program director for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery through the UA. Currently he is a full member of the Craniofacial Association in Antwerp (GH Monica / GH KLINA) and functions as Director of the team for Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. 

Oksana A. Jackson, MD, is an attending surgeon, the Donato D. LaRossa Endowed Chair in Plastic Surgery and Co-Director of the Cleft Lip and Palate Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Dr. Philip Kuo-Ting Chen is currently the Director of the Craniofacial Center and Professor in Surgery at the Taipei Medical University Hospital and Taipei Medical University and has been the director of Craniofacial Center of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for more than 15 years.

Dr. Chen graduated from the National Taiwan University Medical School in 1981 and received his plastic surgical training at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from 1984 to 1987.  He was a clinical fellow of Craniofacial Surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto in Canada, from 1990 to 1991.

Dr. Chen was the President of the Asian Pacific Craniofacial Association from 2006 to 2008 and the President of Taiwan Cleft Palate –Craniofacial Association from 2001 to 2007. He also served as the National Secretary of Taiwan in International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery from 2006 to 2014. He was the board member for Taiwan in AOCMF, Asian Pacific region from 2011 to 2017. He is the council member of the Taiwan Cleft Palate –Craniofacial Association. He is among the International Medical Advisory Board of The Smile Train.

Dr. Chen received the Best paper award for the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgery in 1994 and 2001 and a best paper award from the Journal of Plastic & reconstructive Surgery in 2015. He has given more than 350 international presentations. He has published more than 150 peer review articles and 22 chapters in textbook of cleft surgery or craniofacial surgery.

Dr. Vyas is a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in cleft, craniofacial, and maxillofacial surgery. His clinical interests include cleft and complex rhinoplasty, facial reanimation surgery for facial paralysis, and pediatric microsurgical reconstruction. He is active in clinical, basic science, and translational research, including tissue engineering, craniofacial implant design, global outreach, surgical anatomy education, and use of AR/VR/3D surgical technologies. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, presented nationally and internationally on cleft and craniofacial care, and provides committee service and leadership to several national and international organizations and academic societies.

Dr. Vyas obtained his BS from Stanford University with Honors and Distinction and his MD from UCLA, where he graduated first in his class (Stafford L. Warren Medal) and first in Surgery (The Longmire Medal). He completed plastic surgery training in the Harvard Combined Plastic Surgery Residency Program and Craniofacial Surgery fellowship at New York University’s Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Rajesh Powar completed his training for M.Ch. in Plastic Surgery at the Grant Medical College and Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, India.

He was instrumental in establishing the Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the KLE Academy of Higher Education & Research’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College & KLES Dr.Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Belgaum in the year 1998. Since then this department has made great strides in delivering state-of-art plastic surgical care for patients and quality training in plastic surgery for residents.

He was one of the founder members of the Indian Society for Cleft Lip Palate & Craniofacial Surgery.

Dr. Raymond Tse is an attending surgeon in the Division of Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Seattle Children’s Hospital and is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington.  He trained as a plastic surgeon at the University of Western Ontario and completed a fellowship in pediatric plastic surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.  He is an active member of the Americleft Surgeon Subgroup and of the American Cleft Palate Association.  His research focuses on cleft lip and palate with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes and reducing the “learning-curve” of cleft care.  He has had the privilege of working with surgeons abroad through a spectrum of international partnerships and outreach programs.

Dr. Mann graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine in 1978. He completed plastic surgery residencies in Grand Rapids and a pediatric plastic surgery fellowship at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He established the cranial facial program in Grand Rapids in 1985 and has been the director of the Oral Cleft Program in Grand Rapids since 1987. He is best known for his work in cleft lip and palate care and cranial facial surgery Dr. Mann developed several surgical techniques, including:

• Double Opposing Buccal Flap Palatal Lengthening to treat VPD.
• The Tongue Lip Adhesion Suspension, for treatment of Pierre Robin Sequence
• The No Touch Cleft Palate Repair for treatment of Pierre Robin Sequence
• The Directive Growth Approach for the treatment of non-syndromic cranial synostosis
• The Double Opposing Z-Plasty +/- Buccal Flap: repair for cleft palate.

Dr. Mann published a 29-year follow-up study that shows The Double Z-Plasty +/- Buccal Flap Repair can obtain the same excellent speech results for all clefts, regardless of width or classification. He has spoken extensively on the advantages of the Buccal Flap Approach, a modern embryological-based reconstructive philosophy for the treatment of cleft palate.

Rolando Prada Madrid, MD is the Director of the sub specialty in Craniofacial Surgery of the University Foundation of Health Sciences. He is Professor in Plastic Surgery at the University Children’s Hospital of San Jose. He works as a Plastic Surgeon at the University Hospital of the Santa Fe de Bogota Foundation. Dr. Prada belongs to the Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery and the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery. Currently the Director of the Craniofacial Surgery Chapter of the Ibero-Latin American Federation of Plastic Surgery. He is the editor of several books and has several publications in Plastic Surgery and Craniofacial Surgery.

Dr Shinji Kobayashi is the director, depertment of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Kanagawa Children`s Medical Center in Japan since 2000. He is also visiting professor, department plastic and reconstructive surgery at Yokohama city university.He is a board member of Japanese Cleft Palate Association and Japanese Teratology Society as well as a member of Japanese Society of Plastic Surgery,craniofacial surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgery.His main interests are cleft lip andpPalate, syndromic craniosynostosis, and congenital craniofacial anomalies.

Dr. Hamdan is President and Co-Founder of Global Smile Foundation, a 501C3 Boston-based non-profit foundation that provides comprehensive and integrated pro bono cleft care for underserved patients throughout the world. He has been involved with outreach cleft programs for over the past 34 years. Dr. Hamdan is an Otolaryngologist/Facial Plastic Surgeon with former university appointments at Harvard Medical School, Tufts University School of Medicine and Boston University School of Medicine.

He has special interests in simulation-based cleft training, empowerment & sustainability initiatives for providing comprehensive cleft care as well as quality assurance strategies.

For his philanthropic service to the people of Ecuador, he was awarded the Knighthood, “Al Merito Atahualpa” En El Grado De Caballero, by the President of Ecuador in March 2005. He received Honorary Professorship at Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, School of Medicine, in Ecuador on March 5, 2015 for his contributions in the field of Cleft Lip and Palate.

Barry Grayson completed his undergraduate and dental training at New York University in 1971. Postgraduate training in Orthodontics was completed in 1974 at Columbia University. In that same year he joined the Faculty of the University of Puerto Rico College of Dentistry as an Assistant Professor of Orthodontics. From 1975 to 1978 he served as chairman of the Department of Orthodontics. During that time he chaired the Committee of Dental Research at the College of Dentistry. In 1978 he joined the Faculty of Orthodontics at New York University College of Dentistry and the Faculty of The Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at the New York University Medical Center and School of Medicine.

Since that time he has served as a member of the Craniofacial Anomalies Team and the Cleft Palate Team at the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. His principle areas of clinical practice and research have been cleft palate, craniofacial anomalies, and distraction osteogenesis. Publications of research funded under grants by the National Institute of Dental Research have appeared in the Cleft Palate Journal, American Journal of Orthodontics, The American Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

Outside the realm of professional practice he enjoys participation in the Art of Bonsai and the painting of realistic portraits in oil.

From 2015 Hospital pratictioner in orthodontic (Dr Bolender, department) and in plastic and maxillofacial surgery departments in Strasbourg University Hospital
(Pr Bruant-Rodier department, Cleft competence center)

From 2017 French delegate for “European Cleft and Craniofacial Initiative for Equality in Care” (ECCE) CA16234 (Martin Jens Persson and Gareth Davies: coordinators)

MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

2018 – President of the Association Francophone des Fentes Faciales
2012-2018 Vice president of the Association Francophone des Fentes Faciales
2008-2012 Member of the Association Francophone des Fentes Faciales

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

• PHRC National 2009 188 000 € Relational development in children with cleft lip and palate: influence of the waiting period prior to the first surgical intervention and parental psychological perceptions of the abnormality 2008/2014
Promoteur Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, principal investigator B. Grollemund
Study ID Number: 2009-A00640-57
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00993993
Health Authority: France: Ministry of Health

• PHRC National 2019 870000 € French Cleft: Evaluation of 5-year-old children with complete cleft lip and palate: Multicenter study. Promoteur Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, principal investigator C. Dissaux
Orthodontics principal investigator B. Grollemund

UNIVERSITY PROGRAM

National diploma on cleft lip and palate treatment: master’s designer and coordinator
https://sfc.unistra.fr/orofacial-clefts-how-to-do-better/

Daniela Garib is an Associate Professor at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies (HRAC) and at the Bauru Dental School (FOB), both from the University of São Paulo. In Dentistry, her first steps followed her mentor, Omar Gabriel da Silva Filho, and her positive and altruistic view of life and of how to deal with people greatly resembles his views. She got her Master’s and Doctorate from FOB-USP under the advisory of Dr. José Fernando Castanha Henriques, and completed her postdoctoral studies at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, under the mentorship of one of the legends of Orthodontics, Sheldon Peck. She has recently completed a research fellowship at the University of Michigan, working with Dr. Lucia Cevidanes. Despite her youthfulness, Daniela has already published over 160 studies in scientific journals and dozens of books and book chapters, and she has also served as an associate editor of our journal for almost a decade. 

Dr. Esenlik received her DDS Degree in 1997 and her PhD in Orthodontics from Ankara University in 2004. She worked in private practice in Ankara for three years. In 2017, she joined the faculty at Süleyman Demirel University, where she was appointed Associate Professor in 2013. She was part of the Cleft and Orthognathic Surgery Team in Isparta and a Research Fellow in the Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at New York University Medical School (2015-2016). Dr. Esenlik conducted many clinical and experimental research projects in the areas of cleft lip and palate treatment and functional orthopedics. Twenty doctorate students and residents graduated under her consultation. She was assigned to many administrative tasks in the University like Vice Chair and Coordinator of the Education of the Health Science Institute and has many international and national publications and presentations.

She organized an International Craniofacial Anomalies Congress in 2013 and, in the same year, organized a Presurgical Infant Orthopedics Workshop with Dr. Latham and Dr. Spolyar in  Turkey. She attended three NAM workshops (Dr. Grayson) at NYU. Dr. Esenlik’s research focus is on craniofacial orthodontics including cleft lip and palate treatment, presurgical infant orthopedics, orthognathic surgery, distraction osteogenesis, functional orthopedic treatments, skeletal anchorage based orthopedic treatments, and issues related to accelerated orthodontic tooth movement.

Graduated in 1992, Dr. Olivier ETIENNE has been teaching for almost 20 years in the Prosthetics Department of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of Strasbourg. He was appointed Attaché in 1995, then University Hospital Assistant in 2001, and finally University Lecturer-Hospital Practitioner in 2005.
He participates in the clinical teaching of fixed, removable and maxillofacial prostheses. Since September 2012 he has been responsible for the Prosthetics sub-section at the Faculty of Strasbourg.
A member of the International Association for Dental Research for more than 10 years and of the International Academy for Adhesive Dentistry (IAAD), he focuses his research activities on interfaces and biomaterials for prosthetics (bonding polymers, ceramics, composites ).
Author of two books and numerous articles and communications on the subject of aesthetic dentistry, he has been actively participating for several years in the University Diploma in Smile Aesthetics given in Strasbourg alongside Drs R. Serfaty and C. Toledano.
Alongside this university hospital activity, he has worked for 20 years in a private practice.

Dr. Pedro E. Santiago received his dental degree from the University of Puerto Rico, School of Dental Medicine in 1989. He then moved to Rochester, New York where he underwent post-doctoral studies in Orthodontics at the Eastman Dental Center and Pharmacology and Dental Research at the University of Rochester. In 1995, he was accepted as the first craniofacial orthodontic fellow at the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at the New York University Medical Center in Manhattan where he received a certificate in Craniofacial Orthodontics.

Dr. Santiago was the founder, professor and director of the Orthodontic Graduate Program and the Center for Craniofacial Disorders at the University of Puerto Rico (1997-2008).

He has published many scientific articles and book chapters in international orthodontic and surgical journals. He has lectured in national and international meetings in over 20 countries. He is currently the Director of Orthodontics and the Co-director of the Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Team at Duke University’s Division of Plastic Surgery.

The life and professional motto of prof. Piotr Fudalej has a saying – “I hate not knowing”, and that is why he decided to follow the difficult path of a scientist, researcher and clinician with such commitment. Combining research work with the daily work of a clinician is difficult. The more so that the professor’s activities are related to his presence in several countries. It is thanks to the stubborn pursuit of knowledge that in 1986 he wins the 1st place in the Biology Olympics. In addition to prestige, he was the only one among several hundred people to receive the index of the Medical Academy in Warsaw without entrance exams. He graduated from these studies (1986-1991) as one of the best students in the year. Since he “hates not knowing”, he continued his education at the Faculty of Biology at the University of Warsaw (1990-1992). He wanted to become an orthodontist at all costs, but in Poland getting a specialization in orthodontics turned out to be an impossible task. Therefore, he completed his specialization studies in orthodontics (1996-1998) at the University of Washington in the USA.

Specialization in orthodontics

Completing the specialization in Seattle was undoubtedly a milestone in the development of his professorial career. At that time, for a resident of the changing Central and Eastern Europe, being admitted to the orthodontics guru, who was the lamented Vincent Kokich, was a great distinction and a chance for professional development.

It was the beginning of a laboriously but quite rapidly developing scientific career, the individual stops of which were located in the most prestigious research centers in the field of orthodontics. Already in 1999, Prof. Piotr Fudalej defends with honors his doctoral thesis, in which he undertook to analyze the stability of the effects of orthodontic treatment in the context of the cause of tooth distortion many years after treatment.

In the years 2004-2010, at the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw, Dr. Piotr Fudalej, MD, dealt with children with complex congenital facial defects. From Warsaw he moves to the Dutch Nijmegen, where in 2010-2012 he worked at Radbound University Nijmegen Medical Center, conducting research as well as lectures and classes.

Warsaw, Olomouc, Bern

Conducting a lot of scientific research at that time, he defended his second doctoral thesis in 2011 and a year later his habilitation thesis in the Czech Republic, where he is a lecturer. During this period, she starts working at the University of Bern, where she will assume the position of director-coordinator for clinical trials.

Prof. Piotr Fudalej is the author or co-author of over ten scientific publications, and he presented the results of his research in several cities on 4 continents (Europe, Asia, North and South America). Currently, he conducts scientific projects in Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Poland, and together with Dr. Ewa Węgrodzka, he analyzes methods for assessing facial aesthetics.

Dr Puneet Batra is a Gold medalist during BDS and MDS in Orthodontics from the prestigious AIIMS New Delhi. Presently he is the Vice Principal, Professor and Head in the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at Institute of Dental Studies and Technologies Modinagar UP. He is the Cleft Orthodontist at Global Hospital and Research Centre Mt Abu Rajasthan and Sant Parmanand Hospital, New Delhi. He is the recipient of the PP Jacob award as well as the JG Kannapan award by the Indian Orthodontic Society. He has been awarded the prestigious Commonwealth scholarship at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children London as well as the TC White award in Dunddee dental school Scotland. He is an MOrth from Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh and an FFD Orth from Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He is a Diplomate of Indian Board of Orthodontics (DIBO), DNB in Orthodontics and has done PG Diploma in Hospital Management, PG Diploma in Medico Legal Systems, PG certificate in Oral Implantology. He has more than 100 publications in peer reviewed national and International journals. He has lectured extensively in India and abroad as an invited speaker. He is the Past President of the Indian Society of Cleft Lip and Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies 2019-20. He is presently the Editor of the Journal of Indian Orthodontic Society (2018-22). He has been nominated to the Dental Council of India by the Government of India in July 2019. He has been awarded Fellowship by 3 Royal Colleges namely Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Glasgow and England. He is a member of Smile Train India Advisory Council as well as STRIAC Smile Train Research Innovation Advisory Council. He has been recently certified by DRDO in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Dr. Kassam completed her BA/DMD at Tufts University and Pediatric Dental Residency through Lutheran Medical Center at St. Josephs Hospital in Providence, RI. She completed a research fellowship at New York University Langone Medical Center, Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery in Craniofacial Pediatric Dentistry and Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM). She has worked as clinical attending with St. Josephs Hospital (through Lutheran Medical Center), Clinical Assistant Professor at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and in private practice. She has served as the team pediatric dentist with the Rhode Island and the Tufts Cleft and Craniofacial Teams and established NAM clinics at both sites.

Dr. Kassam was the former Director of Pre-Doctoral Pediatric Dentistry and is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the New York University College of Dentistry. In 2012 she worked with Global Smile Foundation to establish a NAM clinic in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In addition to training local healthcare providers, the clinic runs year-round with bi-yearly follow-up and was able to expand into a full Comprehensive Cleft Care Center in 2015. Dr. Kassam is a Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a Fellow, Royal College of Dentists of Canada. She also holds dental licenses in MA, RI, and NY.

Graduated at Bauru Dental School, University of São Paulo(2000) and performed orthodontic training at the Hospital of Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies 2002-2006) Master’s degree in orthodontics at Araraquara Dental School, São Paulo State University (2009-2011) Orthodontist, Professor and Researcher at Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies since 2006. National and international lectures and articles on orthodontics and orthognathic surgery in patients with cleft lip and palate.

Ann Kummer, MAT, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA retired as Senior Director of the Division of Speech-Language Pathology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (the largest pediatric SLP program in the nation). She is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine.

Dr. Kummer has done over 300 national and international lectures and seminars in the areas of cleft palate, velopharyngeal dysfunction, and even business practices in speech-language pathology. She taught a graduate level craniofacial course at 5 universities for many years. She is the author of numerous professional articles, 31 book chapters, and 4 books including Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Conditions: A Comprehensive Guide to Clinical Management, 4th Edition. She was the developer of the Simplified Nasometric Assessment Procedures (SNAP) test that is incorporated in the Nasometer software (PENTAX Medical), and she holds a patent on the Nasoscope.

Dr. Kummer has received numerous honors and awards. In 2017, she received Honors of the Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the highest award given by the association.

Mrs. Gonsoulin has over 25 years of experience with children and their families with specializations in cleft palate and craniofacial disorders and pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders in the medically fragile population. Mrs. Gonsoulin has specializations in Early Intervention with emphasis on multidisciplinary and cross-training approaches. Mrs. Gonsoulin is the Coordinator of the The Boh Center Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders Program with Ochsner Hospital for Children in Louisiana and serves as the supervisor for Speech Pathology services for Ochsner- Baton Rouge.  She also is Clinical Faculty at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders where she teaches and supervises graduate students in the area of pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders and cleft and craniofacial disorders.     Mrs. Gonsoulin serves on the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital Cleft and Craniofacial team, is a member of International Association for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing, Feeding Matters and serves on the board for the Capital Area Partners Cleft Initiative (CAPCI). She is also a volunteer for the Global Smiles Foundation where she participates in humanitarian missions for cleft care in Beirut Lebanon.

Dr. Perry is a licensed speech language pathologist and speech scientist. She is a professor at East Carolina University where she conducts research using magnetic resonance imaging and 3D computer technology to study the anatomy, speech, and surgical approaches used to treat cleft palate. Her research is funded through the National Institute of Health. Her current collaborative work aims to examine the how variations in presurgical anatomy effect postsurgical speech outcomes in children born with cleft palate. Dr. Perry serves on the cleft palate craniofacial team at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC. She is the director of the Speech Imaging and Visualization Laboratory at East Carolina University. Dr. Perry is the Editor in Chief for the Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal.

Dr. Mabry is a professor at Southern Connecticut State University where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Communication Disorders. She conducts research in collaboration with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center where she is a senior member of the Craniofacial Team since 1989. Dr. Mabry is recognized internationally for her research, practice, and service in the areas of Craniofacial Disorders. Her work focuses on Craniofacial syndromes, feeding/speech
development and evaluation of velopharyngeal function. She is a member of international volunteer organizations such as Global Smile Foundation and and Operation Smile. Through her volunteer efforts, Dr. Mabry has traveled to the Congo, Bolivia and Ecuador while providing speech and feeding support.

Martin Persson is a professor of health sciences at Kristianstad University, Sweden. One of his primary research interests is working with individuals with visible differences or negative body image concerning psychosocial and public health aspects. He has extensive knowledge of working with socially disadvantaged groups across Europe as well as specialising in the methodological and pedagogical development of courses ranging from basic to advance level in psychology, public health and health education. Martin is passionate about developing training programs and knowledge mobilisation activities based on evidence-based research in order to reach relevant stakeholders. He has considerable experience in coordinating and managing over 40 international projects and has attracted over €11 million in funding to support activities in psychosocial, health and educational areas.

He has a PhD in Medicine, Masters Degrees in Public Health and Psychology, and his research has been published in academic peer-review journals and over the last 15 years facilitated a variety of keynotes, lectures, workshops and symposiums for professionals, students and users in his areas of expertise in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Currently, he is also the Chair of the EU COST Action CA16234 “European Cleft and Craniofacial Initiative for Equality in Care”, a Horizon 2020 funded network of researchers and practitioners from 26 European countries.

Nichola is Emerita Professor of Appearance Psychology at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. She founded the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) at UWE in 1992 and directed the Centre until 2018. Nichola has a reputation as a world leader in the psychology of visible difference (disfigurement) and has published widely in the field. She has led and participated in multiple UK based and international research collaborations, including the EU COST Action IS1210 “Appearance Matters” (a network of researchers and practitioners from 35 European countries 2013-2017). Nichola is Honorary Life Member of The Craniofacial Society of Great Britain & Ireland, the British Burn Association, The South African Burns Society & the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. She was appointed Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016 for services to people with disfigurement. Nichola currently works as a Consultant Research Psychologist with partners in Australia, Europe & the UK.
For further details see www.nicholarumsey.com

Gareth Davies has worked as an NGO leader in the fields of human rights, homelessness and disadvantaged children. In 1995 he became the first CEO of the UK Cleft Lip and Palate Association and was a key member of the UK government committee which oversaw the development in the UK of centres of excellence. In 2007 he co-founded the European Cleft Organisation working with and providing training for patient groups and health professionals across Europe.. He chaired a technical committee of the Committee for European Standardisation (CEN) developing agreed guidelines on early cleft care, published in 2015. Since 2018 he has been Vice Chair of a European Action making recommendations on equality of access to cleft care. He is a founding member of the World Cleft Coalition which has produced ethical standards of cleft care in global settings and is also a founding member of Face Equality International, which strives to end discrimination against anyone who has a visible difference. He was born with a cleft lip and palate and currently lives in France. He is married and has three grown up children

University of London, UK (History)
Jagiellonian University of Krakow, Poland (History)
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Advertising Marketing Public Relations)
EURORDIS (NGO Leadership)

Psychologist – Family therapist – MS – PHD candidate
Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgery Department, National Reference Center for the treatment of clefts and facial malformations, Necker Children’s Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
Paris Cite University, ED261
Membership of the Association Francophone des Fentes Faciales
Coordinates the national network of clinical psychologists specialized in cleft and facial malformations
Scientific manager and designer of the Psychological module of the Cleft transdisciplinary University Diploma
Research activities since 2010, 22 articles including 11 as first author, and lectures

Dr. Bieke kreps is a Belgian pediatric dentist, scientific researcher, educator and an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at NYU College of Dentistry (USA). She has a hospital based referral practice (Dept. of Oral & Maxillofacial surgery of AZ Delta, Roeselare, Belgium), focused on treating children who are facing particular needs and/or challenges.

She has overcome challenges of her own, growing up with a facial difference and, later in life, contracting invisible differences. She is the pediatric dentist on the craniofacial team of Ghent University Hospital (Belgium), the same team that followed her as an infant.
Despite it all, she has never stopped working for a cause close to her heart — acceptance and inclusion of all people, regardless of their differences. She began using her own experiences and skills in her lectures for healthcare providers in training, and clinicians, promoting equity and inclusivity in overall healthcare.

Dr. kreps serves on the board of Positive Exposure, an international non-profit organization which promotes a more inclusive world through award-winning photography, films, exhibitions, lectures and educational programs.
As a passionate advocate she furthers POSITIVE EXPOSURE’S mission around the globe, promoting a more equitable and compassionate world where individuals and communities at risk of stigma and exclusion are understood, embraced and celebrated.

Irmis Neller is a nurse in the National Reference Center for the treatment of clefts and facial malformations, headed by Professor Arnaud Picard, at Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris, France. She has been working there since 2008 and she has been specially trained in therapeutic makeup to conceal insightly scars.

Marie-Camille Coste is a pediatric nurse specialist in the National Reference Center for the treatment of clefts and facial malformations, headed by Professor Arnaud Picard, at Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris, France.
She has developed specific therapeutic education workshops to support mothers who wish to breastfeed their newborn with a cleft. The results have been published to share this experience.

She coordinates the French network of nurses specialized in clefts and facial malformations. She also participates and organizes virtual meetings between European nurses specialized in clefts and facial malformations.

She is the designer, and the scientific manager with Doctor Bruno Grollemund, of the nursing module of the clefts university diploma, at Strasbourg University, France.

Mariska van Veen-van der Hoek works as a nurse specialist in the cleft lip and palate team in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. She coordinates the clinical pathway and guides parents from the prenatal period or after birth until the age of 22 years. She participates in meetings of ERN CRANIO, the virtual meetings of World Nurses and coordinates the Dutch Network of Nurse specialists.

Dr. Sommerlad was previously President of the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland (1996) and the President of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (1998). His awards include an Honorary Doctorate of Science (Med) from University College, London, and Honorary Fellowships at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Sri Lankan College of Surgeons, and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists. He holds an Honorary Membership of The British Orthodontic Society and a Hunterian Professorship of The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
He was previously a member of the Clinical Standards Advisory Board (CSAG) on Cleft Lip and Palate and the CSAG Implementation Group. He was Co-Founder and Chairman of the charity CLEFT(www.cleft.org.uk). He regularly works with surgeons in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Iran, Egypt and the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq. He has published extensively, particularly on palate surgery and function.

Dr. Charanya Vijayakumar is a Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon and a Clinical and Research Fellow in Cleft, Craniofacial & Facial Plastic Surgery at Sri Ramachandra University. She also has clinical experience in pediatric dentistry and dental care for children with cleft. She is involved in clinical research on cleft children with velopharyngeal incompetence and currently having two grants in India: The notable Lady Tata Memorial Trust Grant & the institutional GATE grant. She has also been a part of a prestigious Government of India Project on Safety Protocols for Dental Procedures in India. Her passion is to treat and rehabilitate children with cleft and craniofacial deformities.

As a NGO leader, heathcare and non profit professional, Dr Dushyant Prasad has spent over a decade in the area of cleft care delivery and is an advocate for comprehensive cleft care. Apart from this, he has worked closely with NGOs and companies in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility in India. Since 2010, Dr Prasad has worked with Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe, in planning, setting up and monitoring cleft projects in more than ten countries in South Asia and South East
Asia and is currently the International Programmes Advisor. Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe works in 18 countries and promotes partnerships between medical universities in Europe and developing nations while funding cleft care.

More recently, Dr Prasad was instrumental in setting up the Cleft India and Cleft Bangladesh consortiums to foster collaborations amongst funding organizations in the
cleft arena. While having worked with many think tanks in the area of CSR in India, he also initiated the first joint fellowship between a medical association and NGO in India, the AOMSI-ABMSS Fellowship for orthognathic surgery. Dr Prasad also serves on the board of organizations such as ABMSS and MRC Trust, working in the field of public health.

Dushyant is based in Bangalore, India and enjoys being a part of innovative projects.

Gareth Davies has worked as an NGO leader in the fields of human rights, homelessness and disadvantaged children. In 1995 he became the first CEO of the UK Cleft Lip and Palate Association and was a key member of the UK government committee which oversaw the development in the UK of centres of excellence. In 2007 he co-founded the European Cleft Organisation working with and providing training for patient groups and health professionals across Europe.. He chaired a technical committee of the Committee for European Standardisation (CEN) developing agreed guidelines on early cleft care, published in 2015. Since 2018 he has been Vice Chair of a European Action making recommendations on equality of access to cleft care. He is a founding member of the World Cleft Coalition which has produced ethical standards of cleft care in global settings and is also a founding member of Face Equality International, which strives to end discrimination against anyone who has a visible difference. He was born with a cleft lip and palate and currently lives in France. He is married and has three grown up children

University of London, UK (History)
Jagiellonian University of Krakow, Poland (History)
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Advertising Marketing Public Relations)
EURORDIS (NGO Leadership)

Ruben Ayala is a public health physician from Panama with more than 25 years of experience in advocacy and humanitarian assistance. During his career with Operation Smile, he has planned, executed and overseen surgical programs in more than 40 countries.

Dr. Ayala also oversaw the establishment of Operation Smile foundations in low- and middle-income countries that offer year-round health services to patients and families affect by cleft conditions. Throughout the years, Dr. Ayala has fostered collaboration between governments, nongovernmental organizations, industries, communities, universities and other members of civil society.

More recently, Dr. Ayala has focused on the review of surgical outcomes and the evolution of standards of surgical care for patients with cleft lip and cleft palate. He served as part of the official delegation of the government of Vietnam to the World Health Assembly in 2015 and 2017, helping align the country’s support for global surgery and anesthesia.

Dr. Ayala currently serves as Operation Smile’s Chief Medical Officer. He is also the current President of the Permanent Council of the Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma and Anesthesia Care, represents Operation Smile at the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery and the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council. He leads Operation Smile’s global health policy efforts promoting access to safe, timely and effective surgical care to underserved communities around the world.

Dr. Kassam completed her BA/DMD at Tufts University and Pediatric Dental Residency through Lutheran Medical Center at St. Josephs Hospital in Providence, RI. She completed a research fellowship at New York University Langone Medical Center, Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery in Craniofacial Pediatric Dentistry and Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM). She has worked as clinical attending with St. Josephs Hospital (through Lutheran Medical Center), Clinical Assistant Professor at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and in private practice. She has served as the team pediatric dentist with the Rhode Island and the Tufts Cleft and Craniofacial Teams and established NAM clinics at both sites.

Dr. Kassam was the former Director of Pre-Doctoral Pediatric Dentistry and is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the New York University College of Dentistry. In 2012 she worked with Global Smile Foundation to establish a NAM clinic in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In addition to training local healthcare providers, the clinic runs year-round with bi-yearly follow-up and was able to expand into a full Comprehensive Cleft Care Center in 2015. Dr. Kassam is a Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a Fellow, Royal College of Dentists of Canada. She also holds dental licenses in MA, RI, and NY.

Dr. Hamdan is President and Co-Founder of Global Smile Foundation, a 501C3 Boston-based non-profit foundation that provides comprehensive and integrated pro bono cleft care for underserved patients throughout the world. He has been involved with outreach cleft programs for over the past 36 years. Dr. Hamdan is an Otolaryngologist/Facial Plastic Surgeon with former university appointments at Harvard Medical School, Tufts University School of Medicine and Boston University School of Medicine.

He has special interests in simulation-based cleft training, empowerment & sustainability initiatives for providing comprehensive cleft care as well as quality assurance strategies.

For his philanthropic service to the people of Ecuador, he was awarded the Knighthood, “Al Merito Atahualpa” En El Grado De Caballero, by the President of Ecuador in March 2005. He received Honorary Professorship at Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, School of Medicine, in Ecuador on March 5, 2015 for his contributions in the field of Cleft Lip and Palate.

He has special interests in simulation-based cleft training, empowerment & sustainability initiatives for providing comprehensive cleft care as well as quality assurance strategies.

For his philanthropic service to the people of Ecuador, he was awarded the Knighthood, “Al Merito Atahualpa” En El Grado De Caballero, by the President of Ecuador in March 2005. He received Honorary Professorship at Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, School of Medicine, in Ecuador on March 5, 2015 for his contributions in the field of Cleft Lip and Palate.