Melbourne Dental School at TIMNASS X Conference

Representing the Melbourne Dental School, Professor Paolo M. Cattaneo led the University of Melbourne delegation to the international TIMNASS X Conference, hosted by the Universitas Airlangga Faculty of Dental Medicine at the Shangri-La in Surabaya. The delegation included PhD candidate Ayu Fresno, Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Year 3 candidate Kristine Lui, and Associate Professor Khaled Ahmed.

Professor Cattaneo was invited by Professor Muhammad Luthfi, Dean of Universitas Airlangga, to join the stage as part of the opening ceremony.

Keynote Presentations

Professor Cattaneo delivered a keynote lecture titled “An Evidence-Based Approach to Digital Orthodontics”, highlighting the scientific foundations and clinical implications of digital technologies in orthodontic practice.

Associate Professor Khaled Ahmed also presented a keynote lecture, “Clinical Performance of CAD-CAM Restorations – What Does the Evidence Say?”, providing an evidence-based review of CAD-CAM restorative materials and their clinical outcomes.

Student and Researcher Achievements

PhD candidate Ayu Fresno presented her outstanding research on Assessing AI-Generated Oral Cancer Information to Support Design-Thinking Educational Materials, earning two awards:

• 3rd Place – Best Presenter (Original Research) for her poster Assessing AI-Generated Oral Cancer Information to Support Design-Thinking Educational Materials
• 1st Place – Research Centre Innovation Award (Audience Favourite) for Oral Cancer FAQs Chatbot: Clinician-Curated Prototype from Design-Thinking Empathy Work

DDS Year 3 student Kristine Lui also presented her innovative project, Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Learners’ Perceptions of AI Clinical Reasoning and Educational Integration, showcasing her contribution to AI-driven educational design.

Collaboration and Engagement

The conference provided valuable opportunities to network with key academic partners, including Professor Firdaus Hariri, Dean of the University of Malaya.

Professor Cattaneo was later invited to deliver the closing remarks and present awards during the final ceremony.

Promoting the Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours)

Professor Cattaneo, together with Professor Udijanto Tedjosasongko, hosted an information session for prospective students interested in the Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) program. Professor Dini Setyowati (Vice Dean for Research, Innovation and International Collaboration) and other members of the faculty were in attendance, along with approximately 15 students. The session generated strong interest, with former BMedSci student Dina (Fayza Anggraini) joining to share her insights and answer student questions.

Strengthening Future Collaborations

Professor Cattaneo also served as one of three panel members for the Clinical Poster Competition, and participated in a research meeting organised by Associate Professor Nurul Aisyah Rizky Putranti (Kiki) with the Department of Orthodontics to explore future academic collaborations.