Biography:
Ramesh Balasubramaniam is an Oral Medicine Specialist with expertise in temporomandibular disorders, orofacial pain, and dental sleep medicine. He is Associate Professor and Discipline Lead in Oral Medicine at the University of Western Australia.

He has published widely, co-edited key textbooks including Contemporary Oral Medicine, and lectures internationally. He is the co-inventor of PerioGold® Gel, an innovative botanical formulation for oral care. For his ongoing contributions to dentistry, he has received fellowships and awards, most notably the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021.

Biography:
Dr Ball restricted his practice to dental sleep medicine over 25 years ago and is one of the most experienced practitioners in the world. He established Sleepwise Clinic in 2001 which has treated over 24,000 patients with oral appliance therapy.

Dr Ball has achieved the qualification of Fellow of Dental Sleep Medicine from the Australasian Sleep Association (ASA) and is a past chairperson of the dental sleep medicine council of the ASA. Dr Ball has organised and presented training programs for dentists throughout Australia and New Zealand as well as in the United Kingdom, Holland, Belgium, Singapore and Malaysia. He has presented on dental sleep to medical practitioners, sleep physicians as well as on behalf of the Australian Dental Association, the Australian Orthodontic Society and Dental Health Services of Victoria.

Biography:
Dr Raksha Baskar is a paediatric dentist who recently completed her specialist training in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Melbourne. She has over ten years of experience working in both private and public dental settings across South Australia and Melbourne. She currently practises at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

Biography:
A/Prof Breik is a Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial and Head and Neck reconstructive surgeon at the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital. He completed BDSc(Hons) at University of Melbourne, and MBBS at University of Adelaide, followed by OMFS training in Melbourne and fellowships in head and neck cancer ablative and reconstructive surgery in the UK.

Omar is an active researcher working on several research programs including development of bioresorbable metals as alternatives to titanium, and using liquid biopsies for oral and oropharyngeal cancer diagnostics and monitoring. He has over 80 peer-reviewed publications.

Biography:
Dr Francis Chan completed undergraduate and specialist endodontic training at the University of Melbourne. He received the RACDS Prize, and top marks in microbiology in the RACDS Primary Examination. He holds Fellowship with the RACDS in General Dental Practice. Francis works full-time in private practice and serves as Secretary and Treasurer of the Australian Endodontic Society (Vic), and Treasurer of the Asian Pacific Endodontic Confederation. He was previously Co-Convenor of Endodontics for the Doctor of Dental Surgery program at the University of Melbourne.

Biography:
Dr Becky Chen graduated from the University of Melbourne and is a former General Dental Residency (GDR) mentor. She is the principal of a large, busy group practice in Ballarat, with a strong focus on patient health outcomes and experience. A certified Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and Social and Emotional Intelligence coach, she delivers communication courses for dental professionals, helping clinicians build trust, improve case acceptance, and confidently manage anxious patients. Her clinical interests include orthodontics, paediatrics, and patient behavioural management, with a commitment to creating positive, patient-centred outcomes through effective communication.

Biography:
Dr Stephen Chen is a specialist periodontist in private practice in Balwyn. He graduated BDS (Malaya) in 1983, MDSc (Melbourne) in 1987, FRACDS in 1988 (KG Sutherland Prize) and completed his PhD in 2008. He holds the position of Clinical Associate Professor at The School of Dentistry, University of Melbourne. Dr Chen’s scientific interests are in the field of tissue regeneration and post-extraction implants, and has published over 30 papers, authored 2 textbooks and contributed chapters to 6 textbooks. He is past-president of the International Team for Implantology (ITI), Australian and New Zealand Academy of Periodontists (ANZAP) and Australasian Osseointegration Society (AOS). He is an honorary life member of the ITI and AOS. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service to dentistry and dental education.

Biography:
Dr Tiffany Chen is a periodontist, educator and founder of The Cusp Collective — a community and annual conference that champions women in dentistry. Alongside her clinical work, Tiffany writes and speaks on how clinicians can build careers that give more than they drain. She is based in Queensland and strongly believes in protecting your time & energy.

Biography:
Dr Vanessa Cho is a Specialist Paediatric Dentist currently practising at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and in private practice. She completed her BDSc, DClinDent, and PhD at UWA, receiving an Honourable Mention on the Dean’s List.

As a Fulbright Scholar, she also worked at Harvard/Boston Children’s Hospital, collaborating on eye-tracking research. Dr Cho has received the IAPD Bengt Magnusson Award, the AAPD Inaugural Research Prize, and recognition from the Australian Dental Association and the Pierre Fauchard Academy as a Young Emerging Lecturer.

Biography:
Ms Dean is a dental marketing and AI strategist with over 20 years' experience across IT, healthcare, and dentistry. She has worked with hundreds of independent practices and dental groups, helping them attract the right patients, improve operations, and reduce admin. As the founder of Trilbii AI and My Dental Marketing, Carolyn specialises in practical, compliant AI and marketing strategies for dental practices. She is also the author of Fully Booked and a regular speaker in the dental industry.

Biography:
Dr Felman achieved a Bachelor of Dental Science graduating with Honours at the University of Melbourne in 2001. During several years of general practice, Dr Felman developed a keen interest in endodontics and completed his specialist training in the field in 2010 with a Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry, also at the University of Melbourne.

As a registered specialist endodontist Dr Felman achieved Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS). He is also a Member of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Endodontists (ANZAE), the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), the Australian Dental Association (ADA) and the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT). He also serves on the Victorian committee of the Australian Society of Endodontology (ASE Vic).

Complementing his full-time private practice commitments in McKinnon and Brighton, Dr Felman is the Endodontic Specialist Consultant at Monash Health. He lectures widely, both locally and nationally, teaches endodontics at the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University, and maintains a special interest in the management of complex traumatic dental injuries.

Biography:
As a Chartered Accountant (based in Melbourne) for over 40 years, Albert Gigl established MW Partners (now TADA Services) in 2005 as a Specialist Dental Accounting firm. From 2008 to 2020, Albert and his team of specialist accountants operated from the offices of the ADAVB in South Yarra.

Albert has experience in a wide range of matters affecting dentists such as taxation strategies, appropriate use of companies and trusts, service facility agreements, practice benchmarking and valuations, GST issues, BAS and preparation of income tax returns. Over the past 10 years, Albert has been an expert witness, advisor to Australian Government Solicitor, valued 100’s of dental practices, written numerous articles and been a guest speaker at events all around Australia.

Biography:
A/Professor Max Guazzato holds a DDS and a residency in Oral Surgery from the University of Milan, and a PhD in dental ceramics and a DClinDent in Prosthodontics from the University of Sydney. Combining three decades of research, teaching, and clinical excellence, he has lectured at Sydney Uni since 2001, supervised 19 research projects, secured multiple competitive grants, published 3 books and 45 peer-reviewed articles. He maintains two specialist prosthodontic practices in New South Wales.

Biography:
Simon gained his undergraduate degree in dentistry at the University of Melbourne in 1995. Following graduation he entered the RAAF as a Dental Officer after which he spent 6 years in general practice in Geelong. Simon completed post-graduate training in Prosthodontics (DCD) at the University of Melbourne in 2007 and Periodontics at the University of Minnesota, USA. Simon is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and currently maintains a Periodontal private practice in Collins St, Melbourne.

Biography:
Roy Judge is a Professor of Prosthodontics at the University of Melbourne and a clinician, educator, and researcher in implant dentistry and prosthodontics. He has been part of the Melbourne Dental School since the late 1990s, contributing extensively to teaching, clinical training, and research in restorative and implant dentistry.

Professor Judge’s research focuses on dental implants, prosthodontics, restorative complications, implant-supported prostheses, and biomaterials. His work has contributed significantly to understanding implant outcomes and complications in both academic and private practice settings.

In addition to his academic and research contributions, Professor Judge is widely recognised for his mentorship of students and clinicians and for his longstanding commitment to advancing evidence-based dentistry in Australia. In 2026, he was promoted to Full Professor at the University of Melbourne in recognition of his contributions to research, teaching, and the profession.

Biography:
Dr Khominsky graduated DUX from Melbourne High School, and the University of Adelaide with multiple awards, including the Pierre Fauchard Academy Award. He earned a BScDent (Hons) in Craniofacial Biology, publishing research. Alex worked at The Alfred Hospital, treating medically complex patients and publishing on Osteonecrosis of the Jaw. After private practice and teaching, he completed his specialty training with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Periodontics.

Alex has a special interest in periodontal medicine, implants and bone and soft tissue grafting to enhance functional, aesthetic and longevity outcomes. Alex has joined Perio Centre as a centre of excellence in periodontal and surgical care for patients to continue providing the highest quality of care. Alex consults and treats in Malvern, Blackrock and regionally in Wodonga, including treatment under IV/GA Sedation. He also leads the General Dental Residency, aiming to improve the successful careers of all dental professionals through education.

Biography:
A/Professor Liberali is the Program Director of the undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Geriatric & Special Needs Dentistry at the Adelaide Dental School, and Director and Senior Consultant of the Special Needs Unit, Adelaide Dental Hospital.

A/Professor Liberali is a past President of the SA Branch of the Australian Dental Association, a long-term member of the national Infection Prevention and Control committee and currently a Director on the Board of the Australian Dental Association Ltd.

Biography:
Prof Manning is a Professor in Addiction Studies at Monash University and Head of Research and Workforce Development at Turning Point. She has worked as a clinical researcher in addiction treatment services for 25 years in the UK, Singapore and Australia. Her primary research interests are in digital-delivered psychological and neurocognitive interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders. She has been awarded >$12M in funding, has >200 peer-reviewed publications and is a SMART recovery group facilitator.

Biography:
Sharon McMillan has an enduring career in the dental industry and in health law and compliance. She has been the Business Manager of an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery practice for 25 years, overseeing financial management, staffing, and regulatory compliance. For the past 13 years, she has also consulted with the ADAVB, training dental teams in governance, privacy, health records management, compliance, and practice accreditation.

Biography:
Luan Ngo graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1999, since which he completed a PhD and his specialist training in periodontics also at that institution. Since then, Luan has been heavily involved in teaching, having been the periodontics convenor of both the undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Luan currently spends most of his time in private practice.

Biography:
Dr Pandya has been a specialist Prosthodontist in Collins Street, Melbourne for over fifteen years and has been part of the dental profession for nearly twenty five years. In this time, he has participated extensively in sharing his knowledge with his fellow dental colleagues be it through professional development courses or teaching the Prosthodontic post graduate students. Kunal has also served on several committees over the years, including with the ADA and the AANZP. He has a special interest in conservative dentistry and enjoys sharing his thoughts on this philosophy.

Biography:
Dr Alen Rahulan graduated from The University of Adelaide in 2013 and gained experience in private practice in Adelaide and Singapore. He completed his specialist training at The University of Melbourne, with research focused on surgical techniques to optimise implant aesthetics. Dr Rahulan practices at Perio Specialist Studio, where he works closely with referring dentists to deliver predictable periodontal and implant outcomes, with a strong focus on risk assessment, treatment planning, and long-term stability.

Biography:
Dr Rajasingham is a leading expert in digital dentistry, connecting clinicians with technology and AI-driven patient care, and healthcare innovation across the APAC region. As a practicing dentist, speaker, and board advisor, he helps dental professionals and healthtech organizations enhance patient outcomes through innovative, research-backed strategies. With expertise in healthcare education, startup innovation, and technology adoption, Dr Rajasingham advises top industry boards and shares insights on the future of digital health at global platforms.

Biography:
Rishi Ramani is a postdoctoral researcher and educator at the Melbourne Dental School, specialising in artificial intelligence and digital health in dentistry. He completed a PhD in Oral Medicine and Pathology, integrating machine learning with in vivo confocal microscopy for early cancer detection. He co-leads the Dentistry Data and Artificial Intelligence (D2AI) group and contributes to the ITU-WHO-WIPO Global Initiative on AI for Health. His work focuses on AI validation, governance, and safe clinical deployment.

Biography:
Sophia is a Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who obtained her Dental and Medical degrees at the University of Melbourne. After completing advanced surgical training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and obtaining her speciality fellowship, Sophia chose to further subspecialise in orthognathic surgery and maxillofacial trauma at The Royal Melbourne Hospital (2012), and at The Oxford University Hospitals Trust, United Kingdom (2013–2014). Sophia is trained in the full scope of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, but has a keen interest in oral surgery and orthognathic surgery.

Biography:
Gabriel completed a Graduate Diploma in Implant Dentistry in 2006 and a DCD in Periodontics at the University of Melbourne in 2017. He maintains a clinical practice in Melbourne specialised in periodontics and implant therapy. He is also a clinical demonstrator to the periodontal postgraduate students at the University of Melbourne. Gabriel enjoys family life and is a big fan of water polo and road cycling.

Biography:
Dr Rooke is an Orthodontist with the Melbourne Orthodontic Group and Discipline Lead of Orthodontic teaching at La Trobe University. Dr Rooke has always had a unique passion for teaching and mentoring yet primarily considers himself a clinician first.

Within clinical practice Dr Rooke enjoys treating patients with all aspects of modern orthodontic treatment modalities, believing the appropriate interception of a developing malocclusion is where the art and science of orthodontics intersect.

Biography:
Dr Anik Saha is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon holding both medical and dental degrees with honours, as well as a Master of Surgery. Following extensive specialist training across Victoria and Sydney, he currently serves as a consultant surgeon at Monash Health and the subject lead of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery teaching at the University of Melbourne. In addition to maintaining a broad scope private practice with specific interests in trauma, orthognathic, and TMJ surgery, Dr Saha is currently completing an MBA at the Melbourne Business School.

Biography:
Dr Stephanie Shields is a specialist paediatric dentist currently undertaking a PhD titled “molar incisor hypomineralisation: aetiology and impact” at the University of Melbourne and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She completed her Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Melbourne in 2023 and works clinically in private practice in Ascot Vale and at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. Steph also works as a clinical demonstrator and lecturer at the Melbourne Dental School.

Biography:
A/Prof Mihiri Silva is a specialist paediatric dentist, and graduated from Dentistry (BDSc) in 2004 and completed her specialist training at the University of Melbourne in 2013. Mihiri went onto complete a PhD in 2019, investigating how events in early childhood affect children’s dental health.

Today, Mihiri combines her clinical practice with teaching and research at the Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, where she leads the training of the next generation of specialist paediatric dentists and undertakes cutting edge research to improve children’s oral health. Mihiri has a number of leadership roles in various international associations, including as a member of the scientific committee of the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry, President of the Paediatric Oral Health Research Group of the International Association of Dental Research and Vice President of the Australian and New Zealand Division, IADR.

Biography:
Dr Tomohiro Takagaki obtained his D.D.S. and Ph.D. from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, where he worked as Clinical Fellow and Assistant Professor. Following a visiting research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania (2010), he joined Asahi University, serving as Lecturer (2019) and Associate Professor (2021). He currently holds a Part-time Lecturer position at Asahi University and Institute of Science Tokyo. His research focuses on Adhesive and Operative Dentistry.

Biography:
Dr Aovanna Timmerman graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Science from the University of Melbourne and subsequently completed her RACDS fellowship and a Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry in Endodontics. She has had extensive clinical, teaching and research experience, serving as a clinical demonstrator and examiner, and has published in peer-reviewed journals.

Recently, she was honoured as Specialist of the Year by the Australian Industry Awards, acknowledging her contribution to patient care, education, and professional collaboration.

Biography:
Dr Vicki Vlaskalic attended the University of Melbourne where she received both Bachelor of Dental Science and Master of Dental Science degrees. In 1997 as Assistant Professor at the Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry San Francisco, she became co-investigator in the feasibility of the Invisalign appliance and co-published the first article on Invisalign in 2000. Since returning to Melbourne, she works in orthodontic specialty practice, is a clinical instructor at the University of Melbourne and continues to lecture world-wide.

Biography:
Dr Kalyan Voruganti qualified from Cardiff University in 2005 and is a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. An experienced multi-practice owner, he is a general dentist with interests in orthodontics, implants and mentoring young dentists. He is a former General Dental Residency (GDR) mentor, a past mentor with the University of Melbourne, teaches patient communication courses, and lectures for the Australian Dental Association. Kalyan is committed to clinical excellence and lifelong learning.

Biography:
Greer Williams is Director and Practice Manager at The Dental Surgery, Newstead, where she began her career as a trainee dental assistant in 2011. With qualifications in dental assisting and practice management, and currently completing a Bachelor of Business, Greer has led the development of award winning training and workforce strategies. She is passionate about building capable, confident teams through structured learning and strong workplace culture.

Biography:
Dr Reina Yang graduated from the University of Melbourne with Honours in 2013 and was awarded the Melbourne University National Scholarship during her studies. With an obsession for learning and a keen interest in aesthetic dentistry, she completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics through the City of London Dental School as well as the Post Graduate Diploma in Aesthetic & Restorative Dentistry with the Australasian College of Dental Practitioners.

Reina has since started her training with Dr John Kois at the prestigious Kois Centre of Excellence in Seattle, which covers the latest advances in complex treatment planning of rehabilitation cases. She is passionate about sharing the knowledge she has learnt from all over the world and spreading the philosophy of doing day-to-day dentistry to a high standard and through a minimally invasive approach. She owns a practice with her husband in Surrey Hills, Melbourne and is a mum to daughter Isla.

Biography:
Tami Yap is an Associate Professor and Lead of Impact and Engagement at the Melbourne Dental School. As an Oral Medicine Specialist and Co-Lab Head of the Oral Medicine & Oral Cancer Group, her research focuses on the early detection of oral cancer. She holds clinical appointments at the Royal Melbourne, Alfred, and Royal Dental Hospitals. Tami is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

Biography:
Michael Yoon is a specialist endodontist working in private practice at Melbourne Endodontics. He completed his specialist training in 2012 at the University of Melbourne, and he is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS). Michael is a past-President and committee member of the ASE (Vic Branch). He continues to share his passion for endodontics by maintaining his regular teaching role at the University of Melbourne.