Matthew E. Pontell, MD, MS, FAAP is an Assistant Professor of Plastic and Neurologic Surgery at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. He specializes in pediatric plastic, cleft and craniofacial surgery after having completed his fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. His specific clinical interests include cleft lip and palate, craniofacial disorders, craniosynostosis, orthognathic surgery, craniomaxillofacial trauma and pediatric free tissue transfer. His research interests include using artificial intelligence for velopharyngeal insufficiency detection, defining the molecular and cellular pathophysiology of craniosynostosis and isolating skeletal stem cells from iliac bone graft to construct ex vivo patient-specific bone autograft. He currently serves as the Director of Pediatric Plastic Surgery Research, the Associate Director of Global Health and the Associate Program Director of the Independent Plastic Surgery Residency.