Meet the Circle of Cleft Professionals

The CoCP is a community of over 800 cleft professionals from 80+ countries. What started as a simple learning tool for professionals between conferences has become a robust online network of passionate cleft professionals committed to advancing Comprehensive Cleft Care in low-resource contexts.

Join the Momentum

Benefits

Join the Circle of Cleft Professionals (CoCP)’s network! All costs are covered by NGO sponsors. Together, we can inspire and support one another to achieve excellence in Comprehensive Cleft Care.

Networking

By joining the CoCP, you enter a global community of professionals working in cleft care. From speech therapists and surgeons, to NGO leaders and beyond, you’ll connect with individuals committed to a common goal.

Professional Development

Learning never stops. Keep on top of the latest in LMIC-focused cleft research, skills, good practices and common challenges.

Knowledge Sharing

The CoCP’s online platform, Circle, is designed to promote diverse global perspectives and thought-provoking discussions. Knowledge exchange, collaboration and resource-sharing are core tenets of the CoCP’s approach.

Peer Support System

Circle is a round-the-clock space to ask colleagues for advice, share successes, problem solve challenges, and catalyse Comprehensive Cleft Care.

NGO Connection

Many LMIC cleft teams partner with one or more global cleft NGOs. Circle provides visibility into the initiatives and accomplishments that animate each NGO sponsor’s strategy.

Research

Find research collaborators or participate in a Solutions Group for the CoCP’s S4CCC conference. Move your research idea toward publication in preparation for cleft congresses. The CoCP is proud to amplify LMIC-rooted research!

What the Community is Saying

“You have to apply before entering the CoCP. It’s self-selecting, people who are in the community are interested in meeting and learning, with new techniques to share on how to improve the quality of life of patients.” - CoCP Member

“The cleft space is often political and lacks a unified picture of the world… The only way we can survive and make a difference is for us to speak in a unified voice.” - CoCP Sponsor

“I think the CoCP will have a role in getting a consensus where other organizations might struggle. It might be a consensus in priority setting, to do with research areas in global cleft care, and in promoting engagement in global cleft research and clinical endeavors, really putting LMIC at the forefront rather than what has traditionally happened with prioritizing HICs.” - CoCP Member

“There are lots of different ways to do things in Cleft Lip and Palate, and consequently multiple conflicting people can think they know an exclusive best way to do things. Exchanges within the CoCP have always been very respectful, and people don’t necessarily come into these forums to share strong beliefs.” - CoCP Sponsor

The CoCP Advisory

Our advisors provide guidance, expertise and support in shaping CoCP virtual programs for cleft professionals. They are committed to seeing the CoCP effectively promote collaboration and innovation in cleft care.

Dr. Marina Campodonico Frisch

Dr. Campodonico is a paediatric dentist at Fundación Gantz, a cleft centre in Santiago de Chile. She collaborated with the Chilean Ministry of Health in developing national protocols for the care of children affected by cleft. She is a past board member of both IAPD and SCHOP. A post-graduate and graduate educator, she serves on Smile Train’s South America Medical Advisory Council.

Dr. Mekonen Eshete

Dr. Eshete is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Yekatit 12 Hospital and Medical College and is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Addis Ababa University. He leads Yekatit 12’s Comprehensive Cleft Care team and serves on Smile Train’s Research and Innovation Advisory Council. His research interests include the pattern of orofacial clefts in Africa.

Dr. George Galiwango

Dr. Galiwango is the Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at CoRSU Rehabilitation Hospital in Entebbe, Uganda. He completed his Higher Surgical Specialty Training with COSECSA and mentors plastic surgeons across Uganda. For over 10 years, Dr. Galiwango has been a Smile Train partner cleft surgeon and senior leader within CoRSU’s Comprehensive Cleft Care team.

Dr. Felicity Mehendale

Dr. Mehendale is plastic, reconstructive and cleft surgeon and leader of the Global Cleft Research Programme at the University of Edinburgh. She trained in Mumbai, India, followed by plastic surgery and cleft fellowships in the UK. She was Chair of Cleft 2022 and President of ICCPCA. Her research interests include AI applications to cleft outcomes, cleft epidemiology, perioperative and neonatal care protocols, and global equity.

Prof. Roopa Nagarajan

Prof. Nagarajan is Professor, Faculty of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology & Registrar at SRIHER, Chennai, India. She is a Trustee of The Indian Society of Cleft Lip Palate and Cranio- Facial Anomalies and was the Organizing secretary for the 13th International Cleft Congress in 2017. She is a longtime leader in Transforming Faces’ Comprehensive Cleft Care movement.

Dr. Debbie Sell

Dr. Sell is a speech and language therapist previously based at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK. Her PhD study in Sri Lanka focussed on speech in the unoperated and late-operated patient. She co-founded the speech therapy course there. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and co-edited two textbooks. She is Founder/Co-Director of Speech@Home and contributes to CLEFT-Bridging the Gap and Transforming Faces.

Join the Circle of Cleft Professionals today to access exclusive resources, virtual events, and an interactive platform to connect with colleagues. Together, we can inspire and support one another to achieve excellence in Comprehensive Cleft Care.

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info@cleftcircle.org