ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE FOR PRIORITY POPULATIONS
With
Professor Dileep Sharma,
Head of Discipline Oral Health,
School of Health Sciences,
University of Newcastle,
New South Wales, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Ourimbah, New South Wales, Australia | November 2025
Professor Dileep Sharma is a distinguished dental educator and researcher who currently serves as Professor and Discipline Head of Oral Health at the University of Newcastle, Australia. With over two decades of experience spanning clinical practice, research leadership, and academic mentorship, Professor Sharma has established himself as a leading authority in oral health education and interdisciplinary research.
His academic journey includes a Master of Dental Surgery in Periodontics and a PhD from Griffith University, where his doctoral research focused on bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. Professor Sharma’s leadership extends beyond research, having successfully led curriculum development and program accreditation processes, including the re-accreditation of the Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy program by the Australian Dental Council.
Professor Sharma has had significant career milestones, including receiving the James Cook University Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2021 for innovative educational practices and research mentorship. He was internationally recognised as a Fellow of The International College of Dentists and The Pierre Fauchard Academy, and received the Joan Chong Award in Dental Materials in 2022. With over 80 peer-reviewed publications and nearly $1 million in competitive research funding, Professor Sharma has demonstrated research excellence. Additionally, he is currently supervising six PhD students, contributing to the successful completion of various research projects.
Professor Sharma’s current research focus is across 3 domains:
– Priority Population Research: Professor Sharma’s work addresses oral health disparities in underserved communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, refugee communities, and individuals with mental health conditions. His research encompasses oral cancer prevalence mapping in rural Australia and interventional strategies for vulnerable populations.
– Tissue Engineering & Bioactive materials: His expertise in regenerative medicine includes implant surface modifications, bioengineered materials, hydrogels, and 3D printing applications for periodontal regeneration. Notable work includes developing novel zirconia implant surfaces and VEGF-hydrogel delivery systems for prevention of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws.
– Public Health & Educational Research: Professor Sharma leads population health initiatives examining oral health-mental health connections, dental workforce development, and innovative educational methodologies. His scholarship of teaching and learning research focuses on enhancing clinical education and professional competency development in dental and oral health programs.
Source: Supplied and adapted
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4463-1480
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Biostatistics in Clinical Trials
As a biostatistician working in research and clinical settings, Kate Francis plays a vital role in ensuring all projects adhere to best practice guidelines and are transparently reported. She has served as the lead statistician for the analysis of clinical trials across a broad range of subject areas, including neonatal resuscitation, BCG for allergy and infection, convulsive status epilepticus and her work has been published in the top journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and The Lancet. Most recently she was awarded the 2025 Excellence in Trial Statistics Award for her work on the PLUSS trial.
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Using Gut Microbes to Reduce Blood Pressure
Professor Francine Marques is an National Health and Medical Research Council Emerging Leader, Viertel Charitable Foundation, and National Heart Foundation Fellow.
She leads the Hypertension Research Laboratory at Monash University and has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as Nature Reviews Cardiology, Nature Medicine, Nature Cardiovascular Research, and Circulation.
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Investigating new approaches to target plaque inflammation in atherosclerosis
Associate Professor Peter Psaltis is an Academic Interventional Cardiologist who holds Level 2 NHMRC Career Development and National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowships. He has Faculty positions within the University of Adelaide, Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). Within SAHMRI, he is the Co-Theme Leader of the Lifelong Health, Program Leader of Heart and Vascular Health and Co-director of the Vascular Research Centre in the Lifelong Health Theme.
