Mekonen Eshete Abebe MD, PhD, FCS (ECSA), FACS, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Dr Mekonen Eshete Abebe originally trained in medicine and now serves as a consultant in general, plastic, and reconstructive surgery. He holds the position of Associate Professor of Surgery at Addis Ababa University Surgical Department. His extensive training includes multiple short- and medium-term programs at European and American universities. His PhD studies were conducted at Addis Ababa University Public School, focusing on birth defects, specifically cleft lip and palate. With over 15 years of experience in teaching, surgery, and research, he contributes significantly to the field. Additionally, he serves as a member of the IRB College of Health Sciences at AAU and holds the position of Vice Chair of the IRB Ethiopian Medical Association. He also works as a research consultant for Smile Train East Africa and is a member of the Research and Innovation Council of Smile Train.
Magdalena Sycińska-Dziarnowska, DDS, PhD Orthodontist, Pomeranian Medical University, Poland
Dr Magdalena Sycińska-Dziarnowska is an Orthodontist specialist and graduate of Warsaw Medical University in Poland. She works as an assistant at Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland. She defended her PhD in the field of cleft problems. Fueled by her passion, her main goals are to improve communication, help people with clefts access the most appropriate treatment options, and improve their overall quality of life. Dr Sycińska-Dziarnowska has co-authored several scientific papers on cleft disorders. She is currently attending a 1-year Certificate Program on conducting clinical trials at Harvard Medical School for Postgraduate Medical Education.
Liliana Szyszka-Sommerfeld, DMD, PhD, Pomeranian Medical University, Poland
Dr Liliana Szyszka-Sommerfeld has had research and teaching duties in the Department of Maxillofacial Orthopaedics and Orthodontics at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland since 2008. Her main research interests include topics related to orthodontics, temporomandibular disorders, the use of surface electromyography in dentistry, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of patients with congenital facial abnormalities, including cleft lip and palate. Speaking to the nature of her work, Dr Szyszka-Sommerfeld was awarded the professional title of Doctor of Dental Medicine by the Faculty of Dentistry at the Pomeranian Medical Academy in 2008, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of dentistry by the Pomeranian Medical Academy in Szczecin in 2010, the specialist diploma in orthodontics in 2013, and, in 2019, the degree of Doctor of Science in the field of medicine and health science by the Pomeranian Medical University.
