Craniofacial Anomalies Program

Clinician biographies

Our surgeons

• John G. Meara, MD, DMD, MBA, is Children's Plastic Surgeon-in-Chief. His areas of expertise include cleft lip and palate, fetal craniofacial defects and head, neck and skullbase tumors. Meara’s research addresses the genetic analysis of craniosynostosis, management of sinus cysts and techniques to conserve blood during craniofacial surgery. He is an associate professor of Plastic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
   
• Bonnie L. Padwa, DMD, MD, is Children's Oral Surgeon-in-Chief in the Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. She regularly sees patients living with jaw cysts and tumors, cleft lip and palate and vascular anomalies, and is engaged in research centered on the facial growth of children with different craniofacial conditions. Padwa is an associate professor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

• Shelly Abramowicz, DMD, MPH, is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who treats patients with jaw cysts and tumors, facial trauma, TMJ disorders and several other conditions. She is also actively engaged in research, specializing in imaging and surgical approaches to TMJ and pain management for plastic and oral surgery patients. Abramowicz is an instructor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
   
• John B. Mulliken, MD, is a plastic surgeon and co-director of Children's Vascular Anomalies Center. He routinely performs corrective surgeries for children with fetal craniofacial deformities, cleft lip and palate, vascular anomalies and Sturge-Weber syndrome. Meara is also a professor of Plastic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
   
• Mark R. Proctor, MD, is a pediatric neurosurgeon who treats children affected by craniofacial anomalies like craniosynostosis and plagiocephaly, congenital malformations of the spine, neurological trauma and sports-related head and spine injuries. He completed his surgical fellowship here at Children's and has an active research program, focusing on developing improved long-term outcomes for neurotrauma patients. Proctor is an associate professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School.
   

Our dentistry professionals 

• Stephen Shusterman, DMD, is Children’s Dentist-in-Chief Emeritus. He treats the full spectrum of pediatric dentistry patients, with a particular focus on helping children with cleft lip and palate and providing dental care for medically compromised children. Shusterman completed his residency at Children's and is an associate professor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
   
• Fiorella Bellido, BDS, is a dentist who specializes in orthodontics. She also supports our Cleft Lip and Palate Program.
   
• Richard A. Bruun, DDS, is a pediatric dentist with a particular focus on orthodontics, especially in treating patients with cleft lip and palate. He completed his internship and residencies at Children's and is an instructor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
   
• Daniel Kennedy, BDS, DClinDent (Ortho), MOrth RCS (Edin), is a dentist who specializes in orthodontics. He treats many of our cleft lip and palate patients.
   
• Siva Vasudavan, BDSc, MDSc, MOrth RCS, is a pediatric dentist with expertise in orthodontics and corrective dentistry for children with cleft lip and palate.
   

Our geneticist

• Joan M. Stoler, MD, is a clinical geneticist who studies the genetic underpinnings of craniofacial anomalies, particularly craniosynostosis and plagiocephaly. She is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
   

Our nursing professionals

• Maria Ambrose, RN, MS, CPNP, is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner who specializes in plastic and oral surgery.
   
• Dotty McDonald, RN, is a nurse coordinator for our Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery. She has extensive experience treating children with ear malformations, functional feeding problems, ulcerated hemangiomas and wounds.
   
• Catherine Noonan, RN, MS, CPNP, CWON, is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner in Children’s Division of Plastic and Oral Surgery. Her specialties include cleft lip and palate, as well as wound care.
   

Our allied health professionals

• Lynn Schwartz, AuD, CCC-A, is a pediatric audiologist who assists children with a variety of hearing disorders and impairments.