MDS OMOC PhD Students Shine with Top Prizes at Global Oral Cancer Forum 2024

MDS OMOC PhD Students Rishi Ramani and Nadia Kaunein won 1st and 2nd prizes in the Research Competition at the Global Oral Cancer Forum, held in 25th and 26th May 2024.

The Melbourne Dental School’s Oral Medicine & Oral Cancer (OMOC) Group was represented at the 2024 Global Oral Cancer Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The GOCF was an intensive 2-day forum attended by researchers, clinicians, and policy influencers from around the world, uniting in the fight against oral cancer. There was significant representation from South and Southeast Asia, where more than a third of the world’s oral cancer cases occur. Global discussions focused on oral cancer prevention actions, including policy, screening, harnessing digital health, and biomarkers.

OMOC PhD students Rishi Ramani and Nadia Kaunein secured 1st and 2nd prizes in the Research Competition, respectively. Dr Ramani’s research involved the creation of a deep learning machine for accurately detecting graded oral dysplasia in a carcinogenic murine model, highlighting a novel pipeline to develop and challenge pharmacological oral cancer prevention. Dr Kaunein’s research focused on a minimally invasive molecular test that accurately matched findings from standard-care biopsy. We are incredibly proud of Rishi and Nadia’s achievements, as well as of OMOC and the Melbourne Dental School, in recognition of our efforts to combat oral cancer.