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Jay Riva-Cambrin, MD, MSc, FRCS(C), Medical Advisory Board Chair

University of Calgary, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 

After graduating from medical school in June 1998, he completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of Toronto, Canada. He obtained a Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Toronto under the direction of Dr. James Drake. Dr. Riva-Cambrin completed a postgraduate fellowship in pediatric neurological surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto.
Dr. Riva-Cambrin’s clinical interest is pediatric neurosurgery specifically including the treatment of hydrocephalus, craniofacial surgery, endoscopy, and clinical epidemiology. He is the Scientific Director of the Canadian Pediatric Neurosurgery Study Group (CPNSG). He is also a Principal Investigator within the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN). Recent research interests include comparing the outcomes between ETV+CPC and shunts in the infant hydrocephalus population, predicting success in ETV+CPC treated infants, and exploring the relationship between ventricle size and neuropsychological outcomes in older children treated for hydrocephalus. He has been a Principal Investigator or co-investigator on seventeen grants and has over 150 peer-reviewed publications mostly focused on pediatric hydrocephalus.
Dr. Riva-Cambrin has joined the faculty at the University of Calgary in 2015 from his previous role at the University of Utah. He is a Professor of Neurosurgery, the Residency Program Director for the neurosurgery training program, the Co-Educational Director of ACHRI and the largest grant in the history of Alberta “One Child Every Child”. Lastly, he has just been awarded the Kinsmen Chair of Pediatric Neurosciences at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Abhaya V. Kulkarni, MD, PhD, FRCSC, Past Medical Advisory Board Chair

Division of Neurosurgery, The Hospital for Sick Children

Dr. Abhaya Kulkarni is a pediatric neurosurgeon and Professor of Surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, a Senior Scientist at the SickKids Research Institute, and Program Director for the Neurosurgery Residency Program at the University of Toronto. He completed neurosurgery training at the University of Toronto and his PhD in Clinical Epidemiology at McMaster University. After a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Hopital Necker Enfants Malades in Paris, he began his faculty appointment at the Hospital for Sick Children in 2003. Dr. Kulkarni’s research focuses on health outcome assessments in pediatric neurosurgery, with special emphasis on hydrocephalus. He is a site investigator for the North American Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network and has received research funding from several national and international funding agencies. He serves on the Editorial Boards of Neurosurgery and Journal of Neurosurgery.

Dr. Dominic Venne, MD, MSc, FRCSC

Chief, Department of Surgery Chief, Service of Neurosurgery Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine University of Montreal, Canada

Dr. Venne is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Montreal and a neurosurgeon at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital. After completing a degree in Biology (B.Sc.) and a Master’s in Biomolecular Sciences, Dr. Venne pursued his medical studies and postdoctoral training in neurosurgery at the University of Montreal. A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS), he is also accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Belgium (European Union).

His professional career began in Belgium, where he practiced pediatric, vascular, and oncological neurosurgery. He then continued his international career in Abu Dhabi, where he held the positions of Head of Neurosurgery at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (an Emirates Center of Excellence), Coordinator of the Internship Program in Surgery, and Co-Director of National Neurosciences. In addition to his administrative duties, he led the programs in pediatric neurosurgery, surgical neuro-oncology, and craniofacial surgery. He also developed one of the largest spina bifida programs in the Middle East and established an antenatal consultation clinic for congenital neural tube disorders.

In 2012, he was recruited by Cleveland Clinic, Ohio (USA) to found Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and lead its Neurological Institute. He later became the Medical Director for international, VIP, and royal patients. In 2013, Dr. Venne was appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine / Faculty of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University.

In 2017, Dr. Venne returned to Sainte-Justine University Health Center, where he initially trained in pediatric neurosurgery. He became Head of the Neurosurgery Service in 2019, and later that same year, Head of the Department of Surgery. Since his arrival at CHUSJ, Dr. Venne has established the intraoperative neuro-monitoring program, allowing neurosurgeons to perform more safely extensive resections of brain and spinal cord tumors, while also reducing patient hospitalization durations. Dr. Venne also introduced the concept of microsurgical tumor resection under fluorescence guidance. This surgical aid allows for more extensive tumor resections than standard techniques by using a pharmaceutical product that specifically targets and marks certain brain and spinal tumors.

His areas of expertise include the microsurgical and/or endoscopic treatment of brain tumors, skull base and pituitary tumors, the excision of brain and spinal vascular malformations, craniosynostosis and craniofacial disorders, spinal dysraphisms (spina bifida), traumatic brain injuries, and the treatment of cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorders (hydrocephalus, syringomyelia).

Dr. Paige Terrien Church, MD

Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at University of Toronto, Staff Neonatologist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Consulting Developmental Behavioral Paediatrician at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Dr. Church is an assistant Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto, the Director of the Neonatal Follow Up Clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Lead Developmental Behavioral Paediatrician in the Spina Bifida Clinic at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Centre. She is board certified in both Neonatology and Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics with an interest in the long-term outcomes of children either preterm or those with congenital anomalies and neurologic conditions. As an adult living with spina bifida, Dr. Church has a vested interest in the long-term care of children, youth and adults living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus

Dr. Jeffrey Atkinson, MD, FRCSC

Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery Residency Program,
McGill Department of Neurology
The Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University Health Centre

Dr. Michael Cusimano, MD, MHPE, FRCS, DABNS, PhD, FACS

Adjunct Scientist in the Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, Professor, Surgery, Education and Public Health, University of Toronto

Dr. Cusimano received his MD and PhD from the University of Toronto, his Masters degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Fellowship in Skull Base and Microvascular Surgery from the University of Pittsburgh. Since 1992, Dr. Cusimano has been a Staff Neurosurgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital with a cross appointment at the Hospital for Sick Children and UHN. Since 2005 he has been a full Professor of Neurosurgery, Education and Public Health at University of Toronto. He was the first practicing surgeon in the world with a PhD in Education. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, a Diplomat of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is the founder and Director of the Injury Prevention Research Office at St. Michael’s Hospital and a founding member of the University of Toronto Gamma Knife Unit.
He consults and does surgery on adult and pediatric patients from across Canada and internationally for surgery and gamma knife radiosurgery with skull base tumours such as pituitary tumours and meningiomas, and, complex vascular lesions such as aneurysms and AVMs. His opinion in the management of hydrocephalus in adults is widely sought. He routinely presents his work internationally and has been a visiting professor to countries such as China, Italy and Jamaica.
His research interests include NPH, skull base surgery, brain tumours and aneurysms, quality of life, the cerebellum, neurocognition, injury and preventing injury especially brain injury, public health issues, geomatics, knowledge translation and medical education. He worked with engineers to develop the first simulated mannequin that could mimic brain injuries. He and his colleague, Dr Ron Fenton, were the first to describe the binasal endoscopic approach to the skull base.
He has raised awareness about adult hydrocephalus and NPH since the 1990s, and he has been one of Canada’s leading surgeons in the field since then.For over a decade, Dr. Cusimano has done research and been a public advocate on ways to prevent injuries, especially brain injuries and is outspoken when it comes to keeping people well and promoting healthy lifestyles that keep our brains healthy.
He is a reviewer for many medical journals and has over 125 peer-reviewed manuscripts, some in leading journals such as The Lancet, JAMA and Nature.He loves to teach and has been praised for his ability to communicate ideas from kindergarten to the post-MD and post-PhD levels. His trainees are now throughout the world. He has won many awards for his research, his teaching and for his compassion as a doctor.

Dr. Khaled Effendi, MD, FRCS(C)

Centre Hospitalier Universite de Sherbrooke
Neurosurgeon
Professeur adjoint
Faculte de medicine et des sciences de la sante
Universite de Sherbrooke

Dr. Mark Hamilton, MDCM, FRCSC FAANS

Professor of Neurosurgery, Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience,
University of Calgary Director Adult Hydrocephalus Program,
Chair, Adult Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network
Vice-Chair, Medical Advisory Board of the Hydrocephalus Association
President of the Hydrocephalus Society (ISHCSF)
Division of Neurosurgery, Foothills Hospital

Dr. Hamilton graduated from McGill University Medical School in 1983, did his Neurosurgery Residency at the University of Calgary and received his FRCSC in 1991. He did Fellowship training in cerebrovascular, skull base and pediatric neurosurgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ and joined the University of Calgary Department of Clinical Neurosciences in 1994 where he is Professor of Neurosurgery with additional appointments in the Surgery and Pediatrics Departments. He was Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery from 2002-2011 and Director of the Neurosurgical Oncology Program. Dr. Hamilton established the University of Calgary Adult Hydrocephalus Program and started the University of Calgary Adult Hydrocephalus Clinic in 2008. He is the chair of the international Adult Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (AHCRN) which has eight sites in three countries, President-Elect of the International Society for Hydrocephalus and Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders (ISHCSF), a member of the Board of Directors and Medical Advisory Board of the Hydrocephalus Association. He was recently the Congress President for “Hydrocephalus 2015” the 7th annual meeting of the ISHCSF. His main clinical and research interests are the diagnosis and management of hydrocephalus in adults.

Dr. Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD

Neurologist
University Health Network-Toronto Western Hospital

Dr. Fasano received his medical degree from the Catholic University of Rome, Italy, in 2002 and became a neurologist in 2007. After A 2-year fellowship at the University of Kiel, Germany, he completed a PhD in neuroscience at the Catholic University of Rome. His main areas of interest are the treatment of movement disorders with advanced technology (infusion pumps and neuromodulation), pathophysiology, and treatment of tremor and gait disorders. He authoured more than 370 scientific papers and book chapters. Dr. Fasano is the co-editor of the section “Gaps and Controversies” of Movement Disorders, Journal and editorial board member of Annals of Neurology, Movement Disorders Journal, Movement Disorders Clinical Practice and Parkinsonism and Related Disorders. He is also the principal investigator of several clinical trials. 

Dr. Alfonso Fasano also holds the Chair of Neuromodulation and Multi-Disciplinary Care at the University of Toronto and University Health Network. He is a Professor in the Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology) at the University of Toronto. He is staff neurologist and co-director of the Surgical Program for Movement Disorders at Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network. He is also staff neurologist at the Hospital of Sick Children in Toronto. Dr. Fasano is a Clinician Investigator at the Krembil Research Institute and KITE – Toronto Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr. Fasano leads the Core E (closed-loop capabilities) of the CentreR for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application (CRANIA) and sits in the scientific advisory of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation and International Essential Tremor Foundation. He’s the chair of the Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus study group and member of the study group on tremor of the International Parkinson Movement Disorders Society; he’s also a member of the Tremor Research Group and the Parkinson Study Group. 

Dr. P. Daniel McNeely, MD, FRCSC

Associate Professor, Chief of Pediatrics,
Dalhousie University
Head of Division of Neurosurgery, IWK Health Centre

Dr. Kotoo Meguro, MD, CRCSC

Associate Professor, Div. of Neurosurgery,
Dept. of Surgery, College of Medicine Head Division of Neurosurgery,
Dept. of Surgery, College of Medicine University of Saskatchewan
Royal University Hospital

Dr. Safraz Mohammed, MD MBBS

Neurosurgeon
The Ottawa Hospital

Ms. Andrea Neufeld

Pediatric Neurosurgery Division
London Health Sciences Centre

Andrea has been a pediatric nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario in London for the past 25 years, most of which has been spent as a Nurse Practitioner with the Pediatric Neurosurgery Team. In an earlier time, she taught Child Health Nursing at the University of Western Ontario and coordinated various research studies on pediatric kidney disease and childhood injuries and prevention for Health Canada.
Andrea received her Baccalaureate and Master’s Degree in Nursing Education from the University of Western Ontario. In 1998, she received her post-graduate certificate as a Tertiary Care Nurse Practitioner. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses, and the RNAO Pediatric Nurse Interest Group. She was a prior recipient of the Clinical Practice Award of Excellence from Sigma Theta Tau International and a recent recipient of the Surgery Clerkship Nursing Award from the Schulich School of Medicine for her contribution to enhancing medical student learning at London Health Sciences Centre. Andrea works as a member of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Team and can be found in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She is actively involved in the clinical care and education of children and families with health concerns involving the central nervous system. Andrea is a member of the Medical Advisory Board for Hydrocephalus Canada.

Dr. Andrew Parrent, MD, FRCSC

Neurosurgeon
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Western University
London Health Sciences Centre-University Hospital

Dr. Adrianna Ranger, MD, FRCSC

Pediatric Neurosurgery, London Health Sciences Centre-Victoria Hospital

Dr. Ranger is a Guelph native who graduated from McMaster University medical school in 1993 and completed her residency training in neurology at Western in 1999. She did a year’s fellowship training in pediatric neurosurgery in Ottawa and has particular interest in critically head-injured children and the treatment of brain swelling from trauma.
Dr. Ranger is currently Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the University of Western Ontario. She is one of the first female neurosurgeons in the country and the first to specialize in pediatric neurosurgery. Dr. Ranger won the prestigious Kenneth Shulman award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in 1999 for outstanding basic science research by a neurosurgical resident. She joined the London Health Sciences Centre faculty in 2000.
Dr. Ranger hopes to develop Canada’s first intrauterine surgery program at London Health Sciences Centre. If successful, London would become one of the few places in the world to treat neurological birth defects on the fetus before birth.

Dr. Sandrine de Ribaupierre, MD, FRCSC

Neurosurgeon
Head of Cerebrovascular Service, Director of Mortality & Morbidity Rounds Co-Director of Cerebrovascular Rounds Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Health Centre

Dr. de Ribaupierre earned her MD at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. After a Neurosurgery Residency in Lausanne (Switzerland), she completed an Epilepsy Fellowship in the Fondation Rothschild in Paris (France), then a Paediatric Neurosurgery Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
A large proportion of paediatric neurosurgery involves the management of hydrocephalus, sometimes associated spina bifida. She is involved in a multidisciplinary clinic at Thames Valley Children’s Centre in London, Ontario. Part of her clinical research is in hydrocephalus.

Dr. Mandeep S. Tamber, MD, PhD, FRCS(C)

UBC Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Pediatric Neurosurgeon, BC Children’s Hospital

Dr. David Tang-Wai, MD, CM, FRCPC

Krembil Clinician Investigator, Krembil Research Institute (Krembil) Director,
Clinical Services Neurology, UHN, Co-Director, Memory Clinic,
UHN Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Division of Neurology,
UHN-Toronto Western Hospital

Dr. Alexander G. Weil, MD, FRCSC, FAANS, FACS

Pediatric Neurosurgeon, CHU Sainte-Justine
Associate Neurosurgeon, Centre hospitalier de l’Universite de Montreal
Assistant Professor, Universite de Montreal
Surgeon-Scientist, Sainte-Justine Research Centre

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