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Research Day 2025
19th Annual John T. Hamilton Distinguished Lecturer
Advancing Sustainable Dentistry for Oral and Planetary Health
In a rapidly changing world marked by environmental, technological, and social disruption, dentistry must evolve. This lecture explores how recent WHO and FDI definitions of oral health can catalyze a shift from illness-based care to holistic, values-driven approaches. It highlights the role of oral health education and research in advancing sustainable dentistry through ‘living’ guidelines and cross-sector partnerships. Acknowledging tensions between clinical duties, financial pressures, and sustainability, it advocates for reform grounded in evidence and ethics, reimagining oral healthcare as integral to planetary health and human well-being.
Presented by Dr. Julian Fisher, Director of Oral and Planetary Health Policies, Center for Integrative Global Oral Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Julian Fisher is a policy advisor and educator with focused expertise in social and environmental determinants of health, health in all policies and cross-sectoral action, and health security.
His research focuses on building bridges between science and policy for better health emergency preparedness and fostering health in all polices and innovation with a focus on promoting systems thinking for human security.
Julian is Director of Oral and Planetary Health and Adjunct Faculty at the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in a part-time capacity. He holds adjunct teaching positions; Research Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (SUNY Upstate Medical University, New York, USA), and Research Assistant Professor, School of Health Sciences and Public Health (University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia).
He is Director of the non-governmental organization Zero Water Day Partnership (ZWDP). ZWDP is a co-sponsor with the FAO Mountain Partnership of the Children’s Call to Action to protect mountain areas from the impact of climate change launched at COP 26 Climate Conference in 2021.
Julian’s work experience covers a diverse range of professional domains including international public health policy and advocacy (consultancies for UN agencies including WHO, UNESCO & UNEP), health profession (federation) management, health workforce undergraduate and post graduate education, both classroom and web based.
His work has been based in diverse geographical locations, including Europe, Africa (Tanzania, South Africa), Saudi Arabia, Falkland Islands and Antarctica within various sectors and organizations.
The John T. Hamilton Distinguished Lectureship is awarded to an outstanding dental researcher. This lectureship was founded in 1997 in honour of Dr. John T. Hamilton, who served from 1983 to 1996 as Assistant Dean for Research of the (then) Faculty of Dentistry. The Hamilton Lecture is presented in conjunction with Dentistry’s Annual Research Day.
Schedule
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8:30 am-9:45 am |
Poster viewing and judging |
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9:45 am-10:15 am |
Coffee break |
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10:15-10:30 am |
Welcome and Opening Remarks Dr. Carlos Quiñonez, Vice-Dean and Director, Schulich Dentistry |
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10:30-11:30 am |
19th Annual John T. Hamilton Distinguished Lecturer Dr. Julian Fisher, Director of Oral and Planetary Health Policies, Center for Integrative Global Oral Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine Advancing Sustainable Dentistry for Oral and Planetary Health |
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11:10 am-11:40 pm |
Discussion and Q&A |
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11:40 am – 12:00 pm |
Break |
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12:00-1:00 pm |
Lunch & Learn |
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1:00 am-1:30 pm |
Awards Ceremony and Closing Remarks Dr. Carlos Quiñonez, Vice-Dean and Director, Schulich Dentistry |
Schulich Dentistry Research Day Awards
Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation
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1st award $1000 Travel award
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Winner: Rafaela Passos de Souza Project: Enhanced Titanium Surfaces with Nanoparticle-Incorporated Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Coatings Supervisor: Dr. Sheila Butler |
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2nd award $500 Travel award
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Winner: Arezoo Ensafi Project: Association of Ankyloglossia with Malocclusion Traits: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study Supervisors: Dr. Ali Tassi |
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3rd award $250 Travel award
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Winner: Nicole Lang Project: Re-visiting the Oral Health-Pregnancy Outcomes Connection via Emerging Placental Biomarkers Supervisor: Dr. Noha Gomaa |
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Presentation
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1st award $1000 Travel award
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Winner: Tieu Nguyen & Gurneet Dhanoa Project: Synthesis and Characterization of Class II Hybrid Materials to be Used as Synthetic Bone Grafts for Severe Periodontal Disease Supervisor: Dr. Amin Rizkalla |
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2nd award $500 Travel award
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Winner: Alec Brandwood Project: Ontario Dentists’ Perceptions and Experiences with Publicly Funded Dental Insurance Programs Supervisors: Dr. Abbas Jessani |
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3rd award $250 Travel award
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Winner: Glenda Tsai Project: Two-Stage Deep Learning Framework for MRI-Based Detection of TMJ Osteoarthritis Supervisor: Dr. Gürkan Ünsal |
2026 Canadian Dental Association-Dentsply Sirona Student Clinician Research Program Nominee
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Winner: Callahan Doughty |
Ontario Dental Association Summer Research Studentship Award
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Winner: Eric Mun Project: Engineering and Characterization of Extracellular Matrix-Coated Substrates from Decellularized Pulp Tissue for Dental Stem Cell Applications Supervisor: Dr. Georgia Nikoloudaki |
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Winner: Marsha Nayyar Project: Synthesis and Characterization of Class II Hybrid Materials to be Used as Synthetic Bone Grafts for Severe Periodontal Disease Supervisor: Dr. Douglas Hamilton, Dr. Amin Rizkalla |