Credit: Peter Casamento
Welcome
This edition of Dent-AL explores the innovative ways our students, staff and alumni are making a difference to the health and wellbeing of our communities by collectively meeting the challenges of a changing world as part of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences’ Advancing Health 2030 strategy.
With a new Vice Chancellor Professor Emma Johnston AO, who commenced her role at the University of Melbourne in February 2025, I am excited that the Melbourne Dental School can contribute in important ways to the transformational change we need to see to prepare our students for the future.
Students are at the heart of everything we do and I invite you learn about how we are embedding teamwork and compassion from the first year of their dental and oral health training.
New AI technology that supports faster oral cancer diagnosis and stem-cell research could also one day see adults regrowing missing teeth - these are just some of the amazing research stories featured in this edition.
This year, my colleagues and I have also written some thought pieces about areas of community and societal need – and how best we tackle them through innovative teaching, research, commercialisation and improvements in clinical care. They highlight the transformative, inclusive and collaborative work that defines our oral health and dental community.
As you read these and our thought-leadership pieces, I hope they spark pride in what we are building together and excitement for the future of oral and dental health.
I’d also like to thank everyone for the privilege of being the interim Head of the Melbourne Dental School and to warmly welcome the new Head of School, Professor Petros Papagerakis, who arrived in September from his previous role as Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Laval University, Quebec.
As well as being a respected leader, Professor Papagerakis is internationally recognised for his research on rare dental genetic diseases, dental tissue regeneration, circadian medicine and precision oral health.
Welcome to your next chapter, Professor Papagerakis!
Associate Professor Rita Hardiman
Interim Head of the Melbourne Dental School
Professor Emma Johnston AO appointed new Vice-Chancellor
University of Melbourne Chancellor, Jane Hansen AO, announced the appointment of Professor Emma Johnston AO as the 21st Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne on 30 September 2024.
Professor Emma Johnston AO, a University of Melbourne alum, is the first woman to be appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne and commenced her role in February 2025.
“Professor Johnston is one of Australia’s preeminent University leaders, has a keen understanding of the issues facing the sector, a profound awareness of the Australian political context and is a strong advocate and a cogent voice for higher education. She has a proven track record of leadership excellence and transformational change. Her strategic thinking and inclusive approach will support the University of Melbourne to continue to thrive,” Ms Jane Hansen AO said.
Professor Johnston was formerly Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Sydney, and prior to that she spent over 20 years at the University of New South Wales, where she rose to the positions of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Dean of Science.
Professor Johnston has a prominent research profile, specialising in the ecological impacts of human activities in marine ecosystems. She is a chief author of the current State of Environment Report for Australia and has authored 185 peer-reviewed journal articles and supervised more than 30 Higher Degree students.
In 2022, Professor Johnston was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2018 for her distinguished service to higher education, particularly to marine ecology, ecotoxicology and research institutes.
Professor Johnston said she was honoured to be chosen to lead Australia’s highest-ranked university where she has a long affiliation.
I am a proud alum of the University of Melbourne, having obtained my Bachelor of Science and my Doctorate here. I served on the University Council and Academic Board as President of the Student Union in 1995, and I received an Honorary Doctor of Science in 2023. Professor Emma Johnston AO
Picture: Peter Casamento/University of Melbourne.