Sydney C. Butts, MD serves as the chief of the Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at University Hospital Brooklyn/SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Kings County Hospital Center--a position she has held since August 2009. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate and an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology.

Dr. Butts is a native of New York City. Her parents prioritized arts and music education and exposure. She attended the Harlem School of the Arts from 1981-1990 studying piano and music theory. She sees the rigorous instruction, mentorship and support she received at HSA as a key part of her personal development and preparation for her later endeavors. She went to Yale University where she earned her BA in History of Science and Medicine. After graduating from Yale College, she earned her medical degree at the Yale University School of Medicine graduating cum laude.  Dr. Butts specializes in otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat surgery) and she focuses on plastic and reconstructive surgery of the face. Through her work, she has travelled internationally on surgical humanitarian missions to teach and perform facial reconstructive surgery in underserved areas of the world, including Vietnam, Rwanda and Liberia.