Dr. Kristen Davidge as the Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children

As an accomplished pediatric peripheral nerve and microsurgeon and our Divisional Research Director, she is a graduate of our residency and surgeon-scientist training program. Kristen is recognized nationally and internationally, having Chaired the Young Plastic Surgeons Committee of the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons (CSPS), and has served as Program Chair and is the current Secretary of the American Society for Peripheral Nerve (ASPN). I look forward to witnessing the positive impact that she will have in her new role both at Sickkids and within the University Division.

I would also like to thank Dr. John Phillips for his expert leadership, faculty recruitment, and contributions to our Division during his tenure as Interim Head at Sickkids since 2022.

Please read the formal announcement circulated by the Hospital for Sick Children about Kristen’s new role.

Joan E. Lipa
Chair, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, University of Toronto
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto

ON BEHALF OF ABHAYA KULKARNI

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Kristen Davidge as the Head, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at SickKids effective March 31, 2025. Kristen has been a dedicated member of our SickKids team since 2015 and has demonstrated exceptional national and international leadership in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Kristen completed her MD (graduating as the class gold medalist) and Plastic Surgery residency at University of Toronto. During residency she completed her Masters in Clinical Epidemiology. Since joining SickKids as a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, she has also served as the Division’s Research Director. Kristen was awarded both the George Armstrong-Peters Prize and the Langer Surgeon Scientist Award from the Department of Surgery at University of Toronto.  She is recognized internationally as a preeminent pediatric hand, nerve, and microsurgeon, pioneering some of the most complex procedures in pediatric plastic & reconstructive surgery. Kristen has held several international leadership positions, including Chair of the Young Plastic Surgeons Committee at the national PRS organization and various executive positions at the American Society of Peripheral Nerve, where she has recently assumed the position of Secretary.

Her vision for the division includes building on the international clinical and academic profile of the division, strengthening community engagement, and enhancing divisional financial stability. Her leadership style, characterized by compassion, openness, and an equity-focused approach, is well-suited to guide the Division in the years ahead.

Please join me in congratulating Kristen on her new role. We look forward to her continued contributions and leadership in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

At this time, I also want to thank Dr. John Phillips, who has so kindly served as Interim Head since 2022. John stepped into this role on short notice and took it on with a spirit of citizenship and service. He handled this role with the expertise and professionalism that we would have expected from his decades of experience at SickKids, as one of our most talented and respected surgeons. During John’s tenure as Interim Head, he oversaw a period of tremendous growth, successfully recruiting 4 new surgeons, whose early careers are already setting the stage for a very bright future for the Division. Thank you so much, John.