Committee on interprofessional Research, Education, and Ankyloglossia Science

CIREAS

Our Logo

Our Values

At the center of the CIREAS logo is the ICAP logo, just as the mission and vision statements of this committee are to support and provide a scientific foundation or base for ICAP. The ICAP Logo symbolizes solidarity and harmony along with unity and culture in diversity. Orange represents energetic vibrancy and highlights the significance of our multidisciplinary approach to caring for our patients. Green represents compassion, kindness and nurturing qualities. Blue represents stability, harmony, responsibility and trust. 

The colors of the rings surrounding the ICAP logo are gray, symbolizing that research is not always black and white, but instead filled with gray areas that require interpretation of clinicians and researchers alike. The color is monotone, because evidence is objective or of one meaning that has yet to be discovered. The gray color is in contrast to the colorful logo indicating that CIREAS and ICAP work together in complementary and supportive ways. 

The gray rings symbolize our research progress and evidence-based support for ankyloglossia research.  While some areas are complete and supported by research (and thereby have the support of all concentric circles), others areas are incomplete or require more study (and are symbolized by only partial support of the concentric circles). 

Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

There is strength in numbers and diversity. We aim to develop and sustain impactful partnerships with diverse stakeholder communities. We seek to establish truth, seek and incorporate input, and foster inclusiveness with these communities in order to work together toward commonly identified and prioritized goals.

Interdisciplinary Scientific Collaboration

Sponsor and facilitate research projects based on mutual respect, stakeholder inclusivity and evidence for everyday care, centered on practitioners and their patients.

Continuous Learning

Utilize quality improvement and evaluation methods.

Open, transparent communication and trust

Develop open and effective communication and collegiality through mutual development of goals, policies and action plans with the stakeholders from all disciplines of care.  Embrace differences in interpretation and seek to resolve differences through constructive scientific discourse and sound, collaborative cooperation and investigation.

Honor community and academic priorities, perspectives and strengths

Use appropriate cultural and linguistic context of defined communities to disseminate research concepts/methods/results to community partners/stakeholders.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to instill scientific rigor and integrity into ankyloglossia research, clinical practice, and education via interdisciplinary collaboration of ankyloglossia professionals. Our mission statement is complementary to the mission statement of ICAP.

Vision Statement

Our vision is to promote science and data-driven evidence to aid in the promotion of best practices for the assessment, diagnosis and integrative treatment of restricted oral tissues and to make this knowledge available worldwide. Our vision statement is complementary to the vision of ICAP. 

Meet your CIREAS Co-Chairs

Dr Raymond Tseng

Raymond J. Tseng, DDS, PhD

Pediatric Dentist, NC Tongue Tie Center, Cary, NC, USA
Adjunct Faculty, Dept. of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Dr. Ray Tseng completed his DDS/PhD  training at The Ohio State University, and a four-year residency/fellowship in pediatric dentistry and nutrition at the University of North Carolina Hospitals and School of Dentistry. He has been an NIH-supported clinician scientist trainee during most of his graduate career.  His research interests have included the impact of stress on immune function, childhood obesity, and most recently, ankyloglossia research in infants and early childhood. Dr. Tseng has been a pediatric dentist for 12 years, and is the owner and clinician scientist at the NC Tongue Tie Center in Cary, NC, USA.

Sharon Smart, SLP, PhD, PGCertHE, CPSP, FHEA

Lecturer, School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia

Dr. Sharon Smart is a speech pathologist and lecturer in the Curtin School of Allied Health at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. She has worked as a speech pathologist in paediatric feeding and swallowing disorders for over 20 years. Her research interests include ankyloglossia, paediatric feeding disorders and speech sound disorders.

A Bruderer

Alison Bruderer, PhD

Community-based Researcher, Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Canada; Instructor, Psychology, North Island College, British Columbia, Canada; Research Consultant, Vancouver Island, British Columbia Canada

Alison Bruderer began her post-secondary education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned a BA in Psychology, and moved to the Canadian west coast for graduate school in 2008. She earned a PhD in Psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2014, and focused her studies on language and cognitive development, specifically the early link between auditory speech perception and oral-motor movements in pre-verbal infants. She currently teaches Psychology at the post-secondary level, and works for both academic and non-profit organizations conducting community-based research related to child development and well-being.

Next Steps? Sign up to CIREAS!

Interested in participating in CIREAS? Sign up to share your contact information with our co-chairs and planning committee chairs so we can contact you about any possible upcoming projects or opportunities. Visit our google form at: https://forms.gle/VLR1fZ56T7PbSkmU7

If you have any queries or would like more information, please email CIREAS[at]icapprofessionals.org

Stay tuned for more information about CIREAS and a list of current projects and their benefits for ICAP professionals around the world. In the meantime, if you are a member, join our Facebook group “CIREAS – An ICAP Committee” for updates specific to CIREAS.