NSW/ACT Annual Scientific Meeting and Dinner

A/Prof Christopher Ho is a Specialist Prosthodontist who received his Bachelor of Dental Surgery with First Class Honours at the University of Sydney. He completed postgraduate studies in the Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry in Oral Implants at the University of Sydney, a Masters of Clinical Dentistry in Prosthodontics with Distinction from the University of London and Doctorate in Clinical Dentistry in Prosthodontics from the University of Sydney. He is Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, Fellow of the International College of Dentists, Special Field Member of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Prosthodontics, Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Prosthodontists and a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. He lectures extensively on aesthetic and implant dentistry internationally. He is a visiting lecturer to the postgraduate programs at the University of Sydney, Adjunct Faculty at Tufts School of Dental Medicine (Boston), University of Puthisastra, and Kings College London, United Kingdom. He is Head of School of Postgraduate Dentistry at the Australasian College of Dental Practitioners. He is author of numerous publications, as well as Editor of the Wiley textbook “Practical Procedures in Aesthetic Dentistry” and “Practical Procedures in Implant Dentistry”.

Associate Professor William Ha is the Head of Endodontics at the University of Sydney. He completed his Bachelor of Dental Science in 2007, Graduate Certificate in Research Commercialisation in 2011, PhD in Endodontics in 2017, and Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Endodontics in 2021. He is the deputy editor-in-chief of the European Endodontic Journal, a committee member of the International Association for Dental Traumatology (IADT), and a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He also develops phone applications for dentists, notably Dental Prescriber, AAE Endocase, and Endoprep.

Dr Alan Samakeh is an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon. He is a graduate of the University of Sydney obtaining his Bachelor of Dentistry with Honours (BDent Hons) in 2011. In 2015 he completed his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) through the University of Sydney before completing his Junior Medical Training at Liverpool Hospital. He then undertook his specialist training locally through the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons at maxillofacial units in Westmead Hospital, Mt Druitt Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and John Hunter Hospital. He is currently a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – FRACDS(OMS)

Professor Alessandro (Alex) is a Specialist Periodontist with a PhD in Oral Implantology and an MBA Degree with a Scholarship from the University of Queensland. He is a Clinical Professor at the School of Dentistry, University of Sydney and Clinical Educator at the Sydney Dental Hospital. He also serves as the Managing and Scientific Director of the Smile Specialist Suite/Kiama Dental Specialists, a network of specialist dental practices located in Newcastle, Neutral Bay and Kiama, NSW. From 2018 to 2020, he was the Professor of Periodontics at Griffith University, Queensland, and led their Specialist Program as Director. Previously, he led the Discipline of Periodontics and Implantology at the University of Western Australia (UWA). At UWA, he initiated the Oral Implantology and Periodontics Research Program. He also managed the Specialist Clinical Service in Periodontics and Implantology at the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia from 2016 to 2018. Previously, he was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Throughout his career, Prof. Quaranta conducted and supervised research in broad areas of Periodontics and Implant Dentistry and more recently, he has expanded his teaching and research focus to include leadership, management, and business in dental healthcare, leveraging his leadership and MBA background.

Dr Rajiv Verma is in specialist periodontal practice in Sydney. He has presented many lectures and continuing education courses in periodontology and dental implants locally and internationally. Dr Verma has served as Federal President Australian Society of Periodontology. He obtained his specialist qualification in Periodontology in 2008 from University of Otago. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons both in the General and Periodontology divisions and a Fellow of International College of Dentists and Pierre Fauchard Academy. His interests are in plastic and regenerative periodontal procedures around teeth and dental implants.

Dimitra first qualified in Medicine in Greece followed by Dentistry in Liverpool in the UK. In between, she completed an Economics degree in London which took her to European Union working on economic, social and health policies development for regional areas and also a Master’s and PhD in Neuroscience at King’s College London. This path led her to work with a U.S. multinational company while she was contributing to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF-Doctors without Borders). After completing fellowships in Oral Surgery and Special Care, she came to Australia for a holiday and is still here 18 years later. She has been serving in public as a clinical consultant and in private practices while contributing to teaching, neuroscience research, in ADA committees and has presented in Europe and Australia on ‘Diver’s Mouth Syndrome’ and Oral Cancer. She has been actively involved with the College since fellowship in 2008 in various capacities including recently the Board. She combines diverse skills from her previous life in the corporate and the medico legal world to run her private practice in Sydney as a general dental practitioner, while still involved in neuroscience research, and providing services with the Royal Flying Doctors (RFDS). Dimitra is also a qualified counsellor and fully accredited Results coach and a Health and Well-being consultant helping health and other executives in leadership roles navigate through stresses and burnout. She is one of the founding members of the group ‘Drs who coach Drs’. She has authored two books and to keep her creative side going, she holds photography exhibitions, designs jewelry, and has fun in community radio with her show ‘The Wellness Waves’.

Dr. Thao Truong is a Specialist Oral Surgeon with a Bachelor of Medical Science (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Dentistry with Honours from the University of Sydney. After graduating, she completed a four-year Oral Surgery residency at Sydney Dental Hospital and subsequently earned a Graduate Diploma of Clinical Dentistry in Surgical Dentistry and a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Oral Surgery, both from the University of Sydney. These qualifications reflect her extensive experience across public hospitals and private practice. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Truong is a senior lecturer and clinical educator at the School of Dentistry, University of Sydney. She also holds a position as a Specialist Visiting Dental Officer at the Nepean Centre for Oral Health. Beyond her professional commitments, Dr. Truong is dedicated to responsible volunteering. She has contributed to providing essential dental care in developing countries through organisations such as Vietnam Vision Projects and the AusViet Charity Foundation. Outside of dentistry, she is an avid rock climber and hiker.