ISSUE 27 2018 Dent-AL ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

Julie Satur promoted to Professor in the Melbourne

through development of undergraduate Recently, she has established the extension and graduate curriculum, coursework of Oral Health Therapy students educational and teaching, research and academic experience in remote communities through publication, journal editing, and conference the development of a partnership with the development. Miwatj Health Service in East Arnhem Land. This has been outstanding as an example of Professor Satur’s recognition that traditional sensitive community engagement linked to models of oral care were not delivering positive outcomes for both the oral health of access to dental care has informed her the Miwatj Community and the development research and directed her work towards of cross cultural learning for our graduates. policy implementation and change. She was a founding member of both the Julie was the first dental therapist in Victorian and Australian Dental Therapist Australasia to serve on a regulatory body Associations, and has held many executive and led the development of new practice and leadership positions including regulation subsequently translated into development of the first peer reviewed national regulation. Julie has made an international journal for the profession. outstanding contribution to health policy She has been identified as a leader and development in our country including mentor for several generations of Oral National Oral Health Plans, the Graduate Professor Julie Satur has been employed by Health Therapy practitioners in Australia. Year Program, competency and accreditation the University of Melbourne since 1996 and She has driven student engagement with frameworks and establishing the College of was instrumental in leading the transition the community through many oral health Oral Health Academics. of dental therapy and hygiene education promotion programs in underserved from the certificate courses of the 1970s, Recently, Julie has been instrumental populations over many years, for refugees, to the Bachelor program it is today. Julie in the development and successful people with disabilities, homeless, early is a pioneer within Oral Health Therapy, implementation of the Melbourne Dental childhood, rural communities, and being the first in the Australasian/Asian- School Mentoring Program for final year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pacific region to have been awarded a PhD, DDS and BOH students. Her dedication populations. This work has raised the the first Dental Therapist appointed as an and enthusiasm has seen the program profile of oral health therapy and academic staff member to any university return and even expand for the second contributed to improving oral health for Dental School in Australia, the first to year of the program in 2018. people with severe mental illness, seen be promoted to Professor on merit, and graduates employed in many settings Professor Michael McCullough the only female Professor of Oral Health providing care for people with complex (BDSc (Melb) 1982, PhD (Melb) 1995, Therapy in our country. Through her career, needs and helped to increase access to MDSc 1997) Julie has led the development of the dental care in underserved communities. Professor of Oral Medicine, profession into a research enabled discipline Melbourne Dental School

Leading global oral health outcomes

“I have been part of world first research oral health therapy, Indonesia and Fiji to vulnerable and socially disadvantaged looking at OHT practice and evidence for consider educational models, East Arnhem communities. I feel very lucky – it has been effective oral health promotion. My work has Land to work with Indigenous communities, an incredible privilege”. taken me from Canberra to help develop and Melbourne to work with some wonderful Professor Julie Satur national policy, to London to learn about and inspiring people who use the power Head, Oral Health leadership, Washington DC to speak on of the University of Melbourne to help Melbourne Dental School

DENT-AL ALUMNI NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 2018 01 Celebrating our newest graduates Welcome to the first edition of Dent-Al for 2018, our We could not be more proud to welcome Akram and all of our recent dedicated publication for alumni of the Melbourne Dental graduates to the alumni community! School. In this edition, we celebrate women in , Head online to read more alumni career profiles. While you are there, the impact of scholarships, opportunities for continued make sure to update your details and keep in touch with us for access professional development, and our newest graduates. to events, professional development opportunities and other alumni benefits. Last year we saw 84 students graduate from the Doctor of Dental dental.unimelb.edu.au/engage/alumni Surgery and 28 students graduate from the Bachelor of Oral Health program. Professor Mike Morgan (MDSc 1985, Grad Dip Epidemiol 1993, PhD (Melb) 1996) I am pleased to be able to share the profile of Akram Abdullahi Head, Melbourne Dental School (BSc 2013, DDS 2017), who was one of the first new graduates to walk across the stage last December, graduating with a Doctor of Dental Surgery.

Akram Abdullahi Akram Abdullahi (BSc 2013, DDS 2017) from across the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry loves dentistry because he says it and Health Sciences. Students have a mock health check-up with a child’s teddy bear encourages him to both think critically or soft toy to help familiarise children with and scientifically, while also engaging healthcare environments and to promote a his creative side. He hopes to pass healthy lifestyle. on that passion by returning to the “It’s an invaluable opportunity University in a few years’ time to teach to develop communication Australia’s future dentists using his skills with children and own experiences as a clinician. their parents through a Whilst studying, Akram was a Dental Team range of fun, interactive and Leader for the Teddy Bear Hospital, a program educational activities.” established and run by student volunteers

Volunteer trip – student reflection In December of last year 14 Doctor We were situated three hours from the dental units and materials we needed in of Dental Surgery students visited capital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. From here, order to help serve the community. There we made our way to the rural community, a was a different kind of traffic jam along this Cambodia to volunteer their time further hour and half drive down a bumpy road, involving herds of cows and potholes. dirt road from where we were staying. Along in rural communities. Fourth year We did the best we could with the the way, we watched as we drove behind an DDS student Jamie Kang recalls equipment we could bring. Set up in an old old truck, with all the dental chairs, mobile the experience. cobweb filled building, bumping elbows with each other as we tried to maximise the space we had available. As we all slowly learnt some broken Khmer language from the single Cambodian dental student we had with us, we were able to communicate with the members of the community in order to work out what we could do for them. The most rewarding part of this experience was to see how appreciative each and every one of our patients were. Our only regret was that we would not be around to provide them with the continued care that they need.

Update your details online to ensure you receive the latest news, events and other opportunities from the Melbourne Dental School dental.unimelb.edu.au/engage/alumni

DENT-AL ALUMNI NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 2018 02 Dentists’ diversity milestone reached with women taking a lead

Dentistry in Australia has reached a much better represented numerically in the run from Thursday 6 to Friday 7 September significant diversity milestone. Towards “M”– medicine vocational grouping, but and will refresh and update 15 participants’ the end of last year, quoting the Australian not yet nearly enough as senior managers knowledge of clinical assessment and Dental Association (ADA) and the Federal and leaders. This is one reason why I patient management. Uniquely, it will Department of Health, Fairfax reported: am delighted that, at Melbourne Dental feature hands-on training in administration Nationally, 50.2 per cent of dental School’s world-class training facilities of nitrous sedation. It will also focus on practitioners were female, and 55 per cent of at the Melbourne Oral Health Teaching identifying patients who would benefit most dentists aged 20 to 34 were women. Student and Education Centre, including the from treatment modification, empowering member numbers at the ADA’s Victorian Melbourne Dental Clinic, our CPD program is them to make informed decisions about Branch, meanwhile, also pointed at what increasingly female-led. treatment options. looks like an ongoing trend with females A great example is our new-for-2018 Dr Roy Judge (MDSc 1997, PhD 2006) representing 56 per cent of its student Behaviour Management for Successful Associate Professor (), membership. Practice – Sedation and CPR training. Led by Director of Continuing Professional In STEMM (science, technology, engineering, distinguished specialist clinicians, Dr Sadna Development mathematics, and medicine), females are Rajan and Dr Gaurika Sud, this course will Melbourne Dental School

Dr Sadna Rajan

Dr Sadna Rajan is a lecturer and Convener Her CV illustrates this well. She has been a of the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Paediatric clinical academic for the past 13 years, and Dentistry program at the Melbourne Dental specialist in Paediatric dentistry with AHPRA School. She completed her clinical training since 2014. Her special interests include in Paediatric Dentistry in Leeds UK (2011) management of dental caries, paediatric and subsequently obtained her membership, , dental trauma, inhalation sedation MPaedDent RCS (England & Glasgow), in 2012. and developmental dental anomalies in healthy and medically compromised children. Her Asked why she recommends a career in research interests range from cariology to the dentistry, Dr Rajan says: “From my personal study of dental pulp in relation to infection, experience, dentistry is a wonderful career for inflammation and regeneration, and paediatric women in STEMM. There are many opportunities, endodontics. She received the Charles Eleanor including clinical practice, teaching and Knowles best research award (2011) from the research, which leads to great flexibility for work- University of Leeds, and Young Researcher Travel life balance through life stages. More than that, Award (2012) from the European Academy of it’s a truly rewarding profession.” Paediatric Dentistry.

Dr Gaurika Sud

Specialist prosthodontist, Dr Gaurika Sud received dental problems using options such as crowns her Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (Prosthodontics) and bridges, implant-supported prostheses, from the University of Melbourne in 2015. and removable dentures. At the Melbourne “The dental profession offers a great degree Dental School, Gaurika has been involved in of independence and flexibility. It allows teaching as a clinical supervisor since 2012. A women to set their own career goals, working regular continuing professional development independently or as part of a team.” Dr Sud enjoys program lecturer, she is also an examiner for the all aspects of prosthodontics and has a special Australian Dental Council and President of her interest in aesthetic dental treatments, gaining local ADA group. She is a committee member most satisfaction from: “Knowing I have given of the Australian Osseointegration Society someone the confidence to smile again.” Dr Sud (Victorian branch) and a member of Australian specialises in treatment of patients with complex Prosthodontic Society.

Each year, the Melbourne Dental School provides an extensive range of CPD training courses. Visit our website for full details of the 2018 schedule go.unimelb.edu.au/8av6

DENT-AL ALUMNI NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 2018 03 Inaugural Robert and Gillian Cook Family Award recipients announced

On Friday 9 February, the Aaron Thomas Peter Tao Melbourne Dental School was Aaron holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Peter is a PhD candidate at the Walter and pleased to hold a morning tea Bachelor of Surgery (University of Adelaide), Eliza Hall Institute under the guidance of Bachelor of Dental Science (University of Professor Antony Burgess (BSc (Hons) 1969, celebration to announce the Western Australia) and Bachelor of Science PhD 1973). Peter is currently working on a inaugural recipients of the Robert (Honours) (University of Adelaide), and project in close collaboration with the head and Gillian Cook Family Award. he is currently Specialist Trainee in Oral and neck tumour stream at the Victorian and Maxillofacial Surgery, in the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, headed Hosted by Head of School Professor and Tasmanian Training Program. His by Associate Professor David Wiesenfeld Mike Morgan, the event was a wonderful clinical and academic interests include the (BDSc 1976, MDSc 1980). The project aims opportunity to thank our generous donors management of facial trauma, correction of to translate recent innovations in genetic Dr Robert Cook and Mrs Gillian Cook and facial deformity, and paediatric maxillofacial sequencing and targeted therapies into to introduce them to the two inaugural surgery. improving immunotherapy options for recipients, Mr Peter Tao and Mr Aaron patients with oral cancer. Thomas. “The Robert and Gillian Cook Family Award is extremely helpful to me as I pursue a Peter also works as an ear nose and throat Established by the Cooks in 2016, this Master of Philosophy degree through the registrar at the Royal Melbourne Hospital Melbourne Dental School award provides Melbourne Dental School. I plan to use this with an aspiration to become a Head and important financial support to students who most generous grant to purchase anatomic Neck Cancer Surgeon. Having worked are pursuing research in the area of oral and dissections of the head and neck area to in a busy head and neck cancer unit, his maxillofacial surgery. illustrate publications of my research topic, motivation to pursue further research is Dr Robert Cook AM (BDSc 1952, MDSc 1958) which is on the radiographic analysis of the to improve outcomes for patients with is a dentist who is widely recognised for his maxillary artery. The aim of my research is to head and neck cancer. All current treatment work in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Now improve safety in maxillofacial procedures modalities can carry a large burden of retired, Dr Cook is eager to give back to his that involve this difficult anatomical morbidity, disfigurement and even mortality. region – such as corrective jaw surgery of alma mater and support the next generation “Receiving the Robert and Gillian Cook the maxilla and surgery for trauma to the of students looking to pursue a career in his Family Award has been immensely beneficial temporomandibular joint.” area of specialisation. to my studies. “I migrated to Melbourne when I was three with my family from Shanghai, China. I completed my medical degree as a National Medicine Scholar through the University of Melbourne in 2011 followed by my internship at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 2012. Whilst working as a surgical resident I maintained a strong interest in head and neck cancer research, publishing multiple studies in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at national and international conferences. I also hold a Diploma of Surgical Anatomy (2012) from the University of Melbourne and a Masters of Surgery (Surgical Sciences) from the University of Sydney.”

To make a gift to support students of the Melbourne Dental School, please visit: alumni.online.unimelb.edu.au/ dentalscholarships

Mr Peter Tao, Mr Aaron Thomas, Dr Robert Cook, Mrs Gillian Cook and Professor Mike Morgan.

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Melbourne Dental School T: +61 3 9035 7869 27 The University of Melbourne E: [email protected] Level 4, 720 Swanston Street Dent-AL Carlton, Victoria 3053 dental.unimelb.edu.au ALUMNI NEWSLETTER 2018