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This year, for the first time ever, the Faculty of Dentistry's annual Clinical Excellence Day and Sir John Walsh Research Institute Research Day were combined as a single two-day event. Our Clinical and Research Excellence Symposium 2023 was held on 19 and 20 July in the Hutton Theatre, Tūhura Otago Museum, and online via live streaming.

The Symposium featured keynote presentations from leading international researchers and clinicians, and presentations from our staff and students which highlighted their cutting-edge clinical cases and research projects.

Invited keynote speakers

Associate Professor Sunyoung Ma, Dr Rodricks and Professor Warwick Duncan image

Left to right: Associate Professor Sunyoung Ma, Dr Rodricks and Professor Warwick Duncan.

Clinical keynote presentations were given by:

Mauro Farella image
Professor Mauro Farella.

  • Dr Rohan Rodricks of the Westmead Centre for Oral Health in Sydney, presented on his experiences leading a busy community oral health clinic in Western Sydney
  • Professor Mauro Farella of our Orthodontics discipline, explored myths and facts about Class II Division 2 dental malocclusions.

Research keynote addresses were made by:

  • Dr Rachel Sarig, new Dean of the dental school at Tel Aviv University. Research interests include evolutionary dentistry, gaining insight into modern dental pathologies through exploring prehistoric fossils
  • Dr Moira Smith of the Department of Public Health, University of Otago Wellington. Dr Smith is the co-director of the Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit at UOW, and outlined some of the fascinating oral health related research projects being carried out 'beyond the Kilmog'.

Schedule for the 2023 CRE Symposium, including speakers, topics and times for all presentations

As in previous years, the best oral presentations from our postgraduate students were marked with awards celebrating their excellence in clinical and research proficiency, as well as their communication skills.

Congratulations to the following students on receiving awards

Best DClinDent clinical presentation:

Charlotte Hurst: Lower incisor extraction: a contemporary treatment option or orthodontic no-go?
Runner-up:  Ai Lin Tee

Best DClinDent research presentation:

Howard Chao: Hyperglycaemia promotes mineralisation of human dental pulp cells – an exploratory in vitro study
Runners-up:  Lucinda Wong and Carrol Jin

Best PhD research presentation:

Begoña Ruiz Conrads: Childhood caries experience is associated with poorer physical health, mental health, and ageing in midlife
Runner-up: Ludwig Jansen van Vuuren

Best Masters research presentation:

Rebecca Chapman (MComDent): Validation of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire as a measure of oral health-related quality of life in young adults

CRE symposium presentation awards 2023 image

Left to right: Howard Chao, Begona Ruiz, Ludwig Jansen van Vuuren, Charlotte Hurst, Lucinda Wong, Carrol Jin, Ai Lin Tee

Thank you for the generous support of the following sponsors:

Meeting sponsors
Dentsply 

Lumino 

NSK



Straumann 

3M Logo 
Award sponsor
ADI
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