December 4, 2024 – ACPA and the Visiting Scholar Selection Panel are pleased to introduce the 2025 Visiting Scholars. Both visiting scholars are anticipated to visit multiple ACPA Approved Teams in the spring to learn more about interdisciplinary cleft and craniofacial team care. The scholars will also attend ACPA’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Palm Springs, California and give a presentation about their experiences.
Joe Bwija Kasengi, MD, Mmed, MSc | ACPA – Smile Train Visiting Scholar
Dr. Joe Bwija Kasengi is a qualified and dedicated health professional from the Democratic Republic of Congo with over a decade of expertise in pediatric nutrition, pediatric infectious and tropical diseases, and international humanitarian medicine. He holds a Master’s degree in Pediatrics from the Université Catholique de Bukavu and a second Master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition and Pediatric Infectious Diseases from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.
Currently, Dr. Kasengi serves as the Chief Medical Officer at the Intensive Therapeutic Feeding Center within the Hopital Provincial Général de Référence de Bukavu, a teaching hospital affiliated with the Université Catholique de Bukavu. Additionally, he is a Regional Nutrition Advisor for Smile Train and an international humanitarian doctor with Médecins Sans Frontières. Dr. Kasengi is actively engaged in research in the fields of nutrition and infectiology, contributing articles to peer-reviewed journals. He is also committed to advancing medical knowledge through participation in local and international scientific conferences.
Dr. Kasengi is expected to visit two ACPA Approved Teams – CHEO Cleft Lip/Palate/Craniofacial Team in Ottawa, Ontario and Children’s Hospital of Colorado Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Program in Aurora, Colorado.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan, MD | ACPA Visiting Scholar
Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan is a maxillofacial surgeon from Vietnam specializing in cleft lip and palate surgery, orthognathic surgery, cosmetic surgery, and digital imaging. She is the Deputy Dean of the Maxillofacial Department at the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi. Dr. Nguyen’s education includes a doctorate from Hanoi Medical University and advanced training at institutions such as Asan Medical Center (South Korea) and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taiwan). She has been pivotal in cleft care research, including managing a Smile Train grant, and actively trains medical students and professionals.
An active member of international scientific societies, Dr. Nguyen frequently presents at global conferences and leads cleft care initiatives in Vietnam. Her achievements include the Vietnam Health Ministry Award and the Nordhoff Craniofacial Foundation Prize.
Dr. Nguyen is expected to visit two ACPA Approved Teams – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cleft/Craniofacial Program and Fogelson Plastic Surgery and Craniofacial Center for Children in Dallas, Texas.
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The ACPA Visiting Scholar Program (VSP) selects cleft and/or craniofacial care providers from developing countries to travel to the United States and Canada to learn more about cleft and craniofacial care from ACPA Approved Teams. The purpose of the program is to give scholars a first-hand opportunity to see interdisciplinary team-based cleft/craniofacial care and provide them with the knowledge to establish or improve cleft and/or craniofacial care within their home country in a team setting. Learn more about the Visiting Scholar Program.
