Presenter BIOS

Kevin Butterfield, DDS, MD, FRCD (C)

Dr. Butterfield attended Dental School at McGill University, and Medical School at the University of Connecticut, where he also completed his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Dr. Butterfield is the Chief for the Division of Dentistry/Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery for the Ottawa Hospital, and is an active surgeon with CHEO's Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Disorders Team. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Ottawa, where he is Co-Director of the Surgical Sleep Apnea Clinic at the Ottawa Hospital.
Dr. Butterfield has published extensively in numerous professional journals and textbooks, and presented nationally and internationally on topics including Craniofacial Trauma, Facial Reconstruction, and Outpatient Anesthesia.

Caven M. Brunsden, DMD

Dr. Brunsden is a pediatric dentist who obtained his Doctorate in Dentistry from the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey, and his Pediatric Dentistry certificate from the Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center. He currently owns Kidzdent, which is a pediatric, special needs and orthodontic practice in central New Jersey.

He is the founder of the Brunsden-Villa Pediatric Dental Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry. He has received numerous awards and honors including Outstanding Contribution to the New Jersey Dental School, New Jersey’s Top Pediatric Dentist, and Presidential Service Award from The New Jersey Dental Association as well as the Middlesex county Dental Society, to name a few.

Dr. Brunsden is a member of many professional associations including The American Dental Association, The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, The American Society of Dentistry for Children, The International College of Dentists, The New Jersey Association of Pediatric Dentists and The New Jersey Association of Dentistry for the Handicapped. He is also the State Chairman of “Give Kids a Smile”, which is a program designed to provide access to dental care for underprivileged children.

Through the years, Dr. Brunsden has given numerous presentations on a variety of topics, but most recently has been presenting to a number of dental associations on the topic of Autism and Dentistry – Solving the Puzzle.

Martha Ann Keels, DDS, PhD

Dr. Martha Ann Keels received her dental degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1984. In 1990, she received a certificate of Pediatric Dentistry from the University of North Carolina, where she also completed her PhD in Epidemiology in 1991. Concordantly, Dr. Keels was appointed as a clinical associate in July 1986 at Duke Children’s Hospital of Duke University Medical Center. In 1990, she helped established the Pediatric Dental program at Duke. She currently is the Division Chief of Pediatric Dentistry at Duke Children’s Hospital. She is also board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) and serves on the Examining Committee for the ABPD.

Michelle Ward, MD, Child & Youth Protection Program, CHEO

Dr. Ward is a hospital-based consultant pediatrician with the Child and Youth Protection Service and the Pediatric Medicine Division at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.  She also teaches as an Assitant Professor at the University of Ottawa in the areas of general pediatrics and child abuse/neglect.  She completed her medical school at McMaster University and her Pediatrics training at CHEO.  Her recent clinical and research interests include abusive head injury, education of health professionals in child maltreatment, and the health of foster children.

Michael Vassilyadi, MD, CM, MSc, FRCS (C), FACS, FAAP

Dr. Vassilyadi completed medical school at McGill University and neurosurgical residency at the Montreal Neurological Institute. His Pediatric Neurosurgery fellowship was at the Montreal Children's Hospital. He joined the Division of Neurosurgery at CHEO in 1996. He is presently a Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Ottawa. He performs all surgeries in Pediatric Neurosurgery. He teaches medical students, residents and fellows. He presents at both National and International conferences, has multiple scientific publications and is on the editorial board for the journal "Pediatric Neurosurgery".

Dr. Vassilyadi is an advocate for head and spine injury prevention. He is the Director of the Ottawa chapter of ThinkFirst Foundation of Canada. Both he and his wife volunteer their time and have delivered the message of protecting one's brain to thousands of students (from pre-school to high school) and parents. Dr. Vassilyadi has also addressed hundreds of Principals, Vice-Principals, Teachers and Coaches. Both the City of Ottawa and Public Health have endorsed ThinkFirst as an excellent program and have partnered with the Ottawa ThinkFirst chapter in many community events.