Speakers
Professor Clark is a Head and Neck ablative and reconstructive surgeon at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. He is the Lang Walker Family Foundation Professor and Chair in Head and Neck Cancer Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Sydney, Director of head and neck cancer research at Lifehouse, and Director of Translational Research at the Royal Prince Alfred Institute of Academic Surgery.
Professor Clark undertook a two-year fellowship in Head and Neck oncologic and reconstructive surgery in, Toronto, Canada. Professor Clark’s clinical expertise and research focus is in the areas of salivary gland tumours, oral cancer, digital planning for precision jaw reconstruction and dental rehabilitation, facial nerve reconstruction, advanced skin cancer, and transoral robotic surgery (TORS). He has trained > 30 international surgeons in microvascular reconstruction and has > 260 peer review publications. He is a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for contributions to head and neck surgery and faculty in the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncological Societies (IFHNOS) Masters of Surgery.
Prof Jonathan Clark
A/Prof Dale Howes
Dale Howes is the Director of the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry programmes and course coordinator for post graduate prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Sydney. He is the immediate past president of the ISMR (International Society for Maxillofacial Rehabilitation), board member and treasurer of the ICP (International College of Prosthodontists), was an invited fellow of the International academy for Oral and Facial Rehabilitation (IAOFR) and served on the North American working group for Advanced Digital Technology in Craniofacial Reconstruction.
He has received peer review fellowships from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa and the International College of Dentists serving as the regional Vice Regent. He is a past president of the Academy of Prosthodontics of South Africa, and founder member of the P-I Brånemark Institute of South Africa as well as the Face Value Foundation Trust, a Public Benefit Organisation.
He was also awarded the Premier Award of the South African Dental Association (2016) and the I.Y. Sendulskogo Commemorative Medal of the Russian Partnership of Head and Neck Oncology Specialists for outstanding achievements in medicine. (2015). He has Awarded Best Presentations at the Nobel Biocare World Congress 2005 and the Academy of Osseointegration Boston 2008.
He has developed innovative implant fixtures, components and protocols to solve hard and soft tissue constraints facilitating screw retained implant prostheses optimising patient management in the regular implant patient as well as for the patient compromised by head and neck trauma and cancer.
Dr David Leinkram
David is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and part of the Head and Neck Service at The Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. His main area of interest is in post ablation reconstruction of the maxillofacial region.
David has gained broad experience in free flap reconstructions which are customised through virtual surgical planning (VSP). When appropriate, dental implants are incorporated to support prosthetic teeth or ablated facial tissue.
Together with a diverse of array of like-minded clinicians, engineers, and scientists he is heavily involved in the advancement of current treatment protocols, evaluating them, and exploring new technologies to improve the quality of life of head and neck patients.
Mr Kai Cheng
Kai Cheng is the Surgical Innovation Researcher at the Institute of Academic Surgery and Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.
Kai has sound experience and expertise in the field of 3D modelling, 3D printing, data visualisation and Virtual Surgical Planning for Head and Neck Surgery.
Kai is currently working on a wide range of clinical and research projects with the aim to advance surgical outcome and patient care.
Bill maintains a full time specialist private practice restricted to Endodontics in Brisbane and Toowoomba, Australia. He works in a dedicated trauma clinic for Queensland Health. In addition, Bill holds an honorary Associate Professor title at the University of Queensland. He is a Board member of the International Association of Dental Traumatology and is an author on the ‘IADT Guidelines for management of traumatic dental injuries’. He graduated DClinDent (Endo) from the University of Adelaide and has a PhD from the University of Sydney as well as numerous Fellowships. Bill has published more than 70 papers in international dental, material science and engineering journals. His papers are cited as reference texts by the American Association of Endodontists and the International Association of Dental Traumatology for the treatment of dental trauma and regenerative endodontic procedures. Bill is a contributing author for book chapters on endodontic outcomes and dental trauma, including “Pathways of the Pulp” and the “Textbook and Color Atlas of Traumatic Injuries to the Teeth”. He has lectured extensively nationally and internationally and has numerous international research collaborations in every continent.
A/Prof Bill Kahler
Prof Axel Spahr
Prof. Spahr is Director of Oral Rehabilitation and Head of the Discipline Periodontics as well as Deputy Head of School at The University of Sydney Dental School. He is also Head of the Department Periodontics at the Sydney Dental Hospital.
Prof. Spahr is the former Head of Periodontics at the University of Ulm in Germany and has worked at various international universities and research facilities. He has additional training in microbiology, molecular biology, extensive experience in basic science research, animal research and clinical research. His research interest includes periodontal regeneration, bone regeneration, periodontitis and systemic diseases, antimicrobial therapy as well as dental implants and peri-implant diseases. He has led large externally funded research projects and is collaborating with leading international research groups and companies in the field of periodontology, implantology and bone regeneration. He is author of numerous publications in international peer-reviewed dental and medical journals, book chapters and has presented his work at professional conferences worldwide. Prof. Spahr is a board registered periodontal specialist, he works part time in an established specialist periodontal and implant practice in Sydney and is the past President of the Periodontal Research Group of the International Association of Dental Research (IADR). He is a Fellow of the International Team for Implantology (ITI), the International College of Dentists (ICD), and the Pierre Fauchard Academy (PFA).
Prof Miletic is Professor and Director of Restorative Dentistry and Head of Discipline Tooth Conservation at the University of Sydney School of Dentistry. Prof. Miletic is the former Head of Restorative Odontology programme at the University of Belgrade School of Dental Medicine (Serbia). She has 20 years of clinical practice focusing on Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics.
Her research interests involve clinically-relevant properties and clinical performance of restorative dental materials, especially resin-based composites, adhesives, and bioactive restorative materials. Prof. Miletic has published more than 60 scientific papers and chapters in international peer-reviewed journals and books, coauthored 2 national patents and supervised 6 completed PhD theses. As the editor, she led an international group of authors in the Springer-published book "Dental Composite Materials for Direct Restorations" (2018). Prof. Miletic has presented her work at numerous conferences and won both international and national recognition for her achievements. Most recently, she received the IADR Centennial Emerging Leaders Award in 2020.
Prof Miletic currently serves as an expert evaluator for European HORIZON 2020 projects, a member of the IADR Fellowships and Kulzer Travel Award Committees, Associate Editor in Frontiers in Dental Medicine, an editorial board member in the Journal of Adhesive Dentistry. She is a member of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), Academy of Dental Materials (ADM) and European Society for Endodontology (ESE).
Prof Vesna Miletic
Dr Oyku Dalci
Oyku Dalci finished her dental and orthodontic training in Ankara University, Turkey in 2007. She then worked as an assistant lecturer at Near East University in North Cyprus.
She moved to Australia in 2009 where she began working as a Lecturer at the University of Sydney, Department of Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry.
Currently she is a Senior Lecturer and the Orthodontic Specialist Course, Doctor of Dental Medicine and Bachelor of Oral Health Orthodontic Course Coordinator in the same department.
She is a member of the Australasian Orthodontic Board Advisory Committee, Sydney Dental School Learning and Teaching Committee, Sydney Orthodontic Advisory Committee and the Australian Orthodontic Education Committee.
Her research interests include Class III Orthopaedic Treatment, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, orthodontic mini-screws, improving the efficacy of orthopedic treatment, accelerated tooth movement, orthodontic tooth movement and root resorption.
Dr Avinash Surayawanshi
Dr Suryawanshi is a director of diabetes service at Concord Repatriation General Hospital and a core member of Diabetes Strategic Plan, SLHD. He is also a consultant physician at SJOG Hospital and Wesley Hospital, a consultant endocrinologist at ccCHIP clinic and high-risk foot clinic at Concord Hospital, and a clinical lecturer at The University of Sydney.
Dr Suryawanshi has authored several quality improvement multidisciplinary projects in Sydney Local Health district. He has co-authored a chapter in the textbook of obesity on “Drugs causing weight gain and clinical alternatives to their use”and is a principal investigator on several randomised control trials and clinical research projects at Concord Hospital.
Dr Suryawanshi has special interest in the area of Diabetes and Metabolic Health and is a strong advocate of “patient focussed multidisciplinary team care” for management of chronic diseases.
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Dr Mitchell Smith is a public health physician who has been involved in the health care of refugees for over 25 years, both overseas and in Australia.
Since 1999, he has been Director of the NSW Refugee Health Service, which undertakes health assessments, health promotion, teaching, policy work, advocacy and research regarding people of refugee background living in NSW.
Dr Smith provides advice on refugee health policy at local, state and national levels. Since 2020 he has been assisting with the COVID-19 response in south western Sydney.
Dr Mitchell Smith
Sop​hia Parnas is a clinical psychologist with a master’s degree in clinical psychology and undergraduate degrees in psychology and comparative religion and philosophy. Sophia is originally from Denmark but has lived in Australia for the past 25 years. She works currently as a clinical psychologist in private practice, as a Psychotherapy Educator in SLHD and as a Specialist Education Consultant at the Centre for Education and Workforce (CEWD) running the workshops "The neurobiology of human connection; using neuroscience to inform the clinical encounter" and “Trauma-informed management: How to manage staff with a potential trauma history”.
Sophia has authored two recent papers with Sophia Isobel: “Navigating the social synapse: the neurobiology of bedside manner” (2018) and “Using relational mindfulness to facilitate safety in the clinical encounter” (2019). Both are published in the Australasian Journal of Psychiatry. Sophia’s main interest is how to bring the human aspect back into health care (for both the clinicians’ and patients' sake).
Ms Sophia Parnas
Cecilia Correy is a Senior Social Worker at Sydney Dental Hospital in NSW. She has been there since the position's establishment in September 2019 and is the first permanent social worker in a Public Dental Hospital in Australia. Cecilia has extensive experience working with disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals and families. As an inpatient social worker and in the community, Cecilia has worked with women and children experiencing domestic violence and families with child protection concerns or involvement. She is passionate about social justice and the role of advocacy in highlighting and addressing social inequality.
Prior to Sydney Dental she worked at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with young parents and other women and at Sydney Children's hospital in Paediatric Oncology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from The University of Sydney and a Communications Degree in Social Inquiry from The University of Technology, Sydney.
Ms Cecilia Correy
Dr Geoffrey Borlase
Geoffrey is a practicing Prosthodontist based in Sydney Australia and has held appointments with Charles Sturt University, Orange; University of Sydney, Sydney; Fiji National University Suva, and the University of Puthisatra in Phnom Penh in Cambodia where he has taught removable prosthodontics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels for many years.
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For almost twenty years Geoffrey was the Convenor of the Court of Examiners for the final exam leading to Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. Geoffrey works in specialist private practice in the city and teaches both on the DMD program at SDH and the DClin Dent Prosthodontic University Sydney program at Westmead.
Dr Malcolm Coombs
Dr Coombs qualified as a Dentist in Sheffield, England 1962, and completed Diploma of College of Radiography, London 1964. He worked in General Dental Practice until 1972 when came to Australia on a four year contract with the Department of Defence. Specialised in Oral Surgery, he joined the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney full-time in 1991 to set up a teaching programme in Oral Radiology and Diagnosis. He was invited to Glasgow, UK in 2001 as T.C. White visiting professor to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow. Dr Coombs held a conjoint appointment with Sydney University and Sydney Dental Hospital as Head of Oral Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging. He is a conjoint Associate Professor Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle and djunct Associate Professor School of Dentistry, Charles Stuart University. He is the Australasian Regional Representative for the International Academy of Dento-Maxillofacial Radiology and past president of the Australian Academy of Dento-Maxillofacial Radiology and a Fellow of the International College of Dentistry and lectured both nationally and internationally on topics related to Oral Surgery and Maxillofacial Radiology.
Dr Amelita Simpson
Dr Simpson obtained Doctor of Dental Medicine in the Philippines in 1982. A Clinical Lecturer in Dental Radiology at The University of Sydney since 2000. She completed the Australian Dental Council Board Exam in 2008. She was an Australian Dental Council board examiner in 2014. She also completed Master of Philosophy (Dento Maxillo facial Radiology) at The University of Sydney 2017. She has been a Hospital Recognised Specialist in Dento Maxillofacial Radiology since 2018.
Dr Simpson was awarded The University of Sydney, Faculty of Dentistry: Excellence in Teaching Award Pre-Clinical Study 2008. She is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists 2014 and Royal Institute of Dentistry (Singapore) 2019.
Currently working as Acting Head of Oral Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging Department at Sydney Dental Hospital. Dr Simpson is an invited lecturer in Dento Maxillofacial Radiology in the Philippines and has a particular interest in the use of ultrasound of the head and neck.
Dr Yadir Singh
Dr Singh completed a BDS in 2004 in South Africa. Moved to Australia in 2008 where he completed Doctor of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Sydney in 2018.
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He is currently working as Staff Specialist Oral Surgeon at Sydney Dental Hospital and Visiting Oral Surgeon at Royal North Shore Hospital.
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He holds a Membership to the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons and Australian Dental Association a Fellowship in the Faculty of Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Ms Paulette Smith
Paulette graduated from the University of Adelaide with an Advanced Diploma in Dental Therapy (high distinction) and has spent over twelve (12) years working in both private practice and in the public sector, with a focus on preventive dentistry and oral health education.
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Paulette joined GC Australasia Dental over ten (10) years ago in a sales and clinical education training role including facilitating hands on workshops. She has also been fortunate to participate in several international hands on courses focusing on aesthetic restorative dentistry and fibre technology.