36th Australian Dental Congress
Transcription
36th Australian Dental Congress
36th Australian Dental Congress HIGHLIGHTS FROM A SUCCESSFUL BRISBANE CONGRESS The ‘Future’ was in Brisbane during the recent 36th Australian Dental Congress held from Wednesday, 25 March to Sunday, 29 March 2015. Following are some brief highlights and photos of the events through this successful event. Professor Frauke Müller. Congress Chairman, Dr David Thomson welcomes delegates to the 36th Australian Dental Congress. pRE-CONgRESS WORKShOpS Three pre-Congress workshops were held on the Wednesday prior to the Main Scientific programme. These hands-on workshops were conducted at the new University of Queensland Oral Health Centre, Griffith University at the Gold Coast, the continuing education facility at the ADA Queensland Branch and Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Professor Kishor Gulabivala. Most days presented the opportunity of four available themes from which delegates could choose to attend. In addition, on three days there were up to 20 Lunch and Learn sessions conducted. These permitted small group participation by attendees with presenting clinicians. This format proved to be very popular with most sessions sold out well in advance of the Congress. The ADA/PFA National Emerging Young Lecturer Award competition was incorporated into the main programme for this congress. The quality of all presentations was of a high standard with Dr Daniel Felman being presented with the award. ALLiED DENtAL pERSONNEL mAiN SCiENtiFiC pROgRAmmE The three keynote speakers, Professors David Bartlett, Frauke Müller and Kishor Gulabivala opened the programme on Thursday morning with all three encompassing the theme of the Congress – ‘The Future is Here’. They were supported by local and international invited speakers presenting on all aspects of contemporary dental practice. A separate two-day programme was available for allied dental personnel as well as a programme for dental assistants and practice managers which was a combined programme on the Saturday. FORumS Professor David Bartlett. In addition to the ADA Open Forum, forums for graduate dentists, volunteers and one focussed on transitioning from practice to retirement were incorporated into the programme for this congress. M AY 2 015 19 Congress afforded an opportunity for associated groups to host functions and there were several breakfasts, lunches and dinners held alongside official congress events. EXhibitiON Members of Federal Executive and Council were on hand to answer questions at the ADA Open Forum held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, 25 March 2015. ACCOmpANyiNg pERSONS pROgRAmmE The accompanying persons had their own lounge space within the exhibition and this was used for a series of presentations on a range of topics including styling and jewellery. A tour of the nearby Gallery of Modern Art proved to be popular and was followed by a luncheon with media personality Mia Freedman in the Sky Room at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre Grey Street complex. This exhibition was one of the largest ever held in conjunction with a congress. The space available allowed dental and non-dental exhibitors to showcase the latest in materials and equipment. The ADA had a prominent central space where all members of the ADA family were represented. There were also employment seminars conducted by various groups and organisations which highlighted career opportunities and an extended opening with an associated sponsored cocktail event that was free-of-charge proved to be popular on the Thursday evening. thANK yOu On behalf of all delegates I would like to thank the following: • Local Organising Committee members, especially Ian Meyers Scientific Division Chairman and Marcus Tod, Chairman of the Entertainment and Accompanying Persons Division • Keynote speakers and all invited speakers • Sponsors and exhibitors • Australian Congress Management staff – Oscar, Shana, Caitlin and Jessica SOCiAL pROgRAmmES The Welcome Reception provided delegates the opportunity to meet with old friends, make new ones and to enjoy a dazzling Laserman performance and a spectacular ice-skating routine. In addition to the themed Welcome Reception, there was the Dentists Late Night where the very popular illusionist Cosentino amazed and entertained the crowd at Cloudland and at The Tivoli theatre where he performed for allied dental personnel. The ADA Congress Management team for the 36th Australian Dental Congress L to R: Jessica Cooper (Congress Speakers Liaison), Caitlin Walker (Sales and Exhibition Coordinator), Oscar van Elten (Federal Sales and Event Manager) and Shana Ludwell (Assistant Manager). mELbOuRNE 2017 The 37th Australian Dental Congress will be held in Melbourne from Wednesday, 17 to Sunday, 21 May 2017. I wish Dr David Curnow as Congress Chairman and his team all the best. On a personal note, I would like thank everyone who attended the congress in Brisbane. It is the individual dentists and delegates who make events such as this the success they are. I know all of you enjoyed the event and hopefully have put into practice those things learnt during the Congress. Finally, I encourage all members to attend in Melbourne to continue the experience that is the Australian Dental Congress. David Thomson Chairman 36th Australian Dental Congress M AY 2 015 21 36th Australian Dental Congress ADA AWARDS PRESENTATION AT THE OPENING CEREMONY ADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE iN DENtAL JOuRNALiSm 2014 L to R: Neil Keene and Jane Hansen were joint recipients of the Print Media Category Award for their series of articles that formed part of the Daily Telegraph’s Stop the Rot’ campaign over August- September 2013. The campaign called for fluoridation of water to become a state government issue, taking it out of the hands of councils. L to R: Ruben Meerman and Geraldine McKenna received the Electronic Media Category Award for their ‘Water Fluoridation’ story which aired on ABC TV’s Catalyst on 8 August 2013. AuStRALiAN DENtAL JOuRNAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE Scientific Article Category 2013 is presented to Dr Sharon Liberali – ‘Oral conditions and their social impact among HIV dental patients, 18 years on’. Clinical Report Category 2014 is presented to Dr Firoz Iqbal – ‘Oral presentation of hisotplasmosis in an immunocompetent patient: a diagnostic challenge’. Unfortunately, the recipients of the Clinical Report Category 2013, Professor Robert Jones (The management of benign salivary disease: a case series) and the Scientific Article Category 2014, Dr Pinar Gümü˛s, School of Dentistry, Department of Periodontology Turkey (Graft stabilization with cyanoacrylate decreases shrinkage of free gingival grafts) were unable to attend Congress to receive their Awards. 22 M AY 2 015 ADA hONORARy LiFE mEmbERShip LOCAL ORgANiSiNg COmmittEE ChAiRmAN mEDAL The Association’s highest award of Honorary Life Membership was presented to Past President, Dr Karin Alexander. ADA President, Dr Rick Olive presents the Local Organising Committee Chairman Medal to Dr David Thomson. ADA mERitORiOuS SERviCE AWARDS Professor Laurence Walsh received the ADA Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding service to dentistry, dental education in Australia and overseas and the ADA for 30 years. Dr Stuart Gairns received the ADA Meritorious Service Award for outstanding service to dentistry and the ADA for more than 35 years. Dr Geoff Knight receives the ADA Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding service to dentistry and the ADA for more than 35 years. From 1988 to 2013 Geoff contributed the muchread clinically orientated general dentist’s guide to minimal intervention dentistry Aesthetic Update column in the ADA News Bulletin five times every year. M AY 2 015 23 SCADA gives future leaders A HEAD START The dental world got an early look at some of its future leaders when the 2015 Student Clinical Research Program (SCADA) was held in conjunction with the 36th Australian Dental Congress (ADC) in Brisbane in March. The best dental research project from each university is chosen to represent their school at the ADC, while the overall winner goes on to represent the region at the American Dental Association Annual Meeting, which this year will be held in Washington, DC in November. High-quality participants and constructive research were the hallmark of SCADA this year, exemplified best by the overall winner, the University of Adelaide’s Mustafa Mian (Ahmed), whose research focused on craniofacial deformities in premature suture fusion. 2015 FiNALiStS AND thEiR tOpiCS SCADA originated in 1959 as a joint venture between DENTSPLY and the American Dental Association, with the aim of promoting, supporting and recognising dental research by undergraduate students, helping them develop professional networks and providing them with ongoing research opportunities. The program was introduced into Australia in 1982 and has become a bi-annual feature of the ADC, with participation from Australia and New Zealand, and more recently Fiji National University. The SCADA program, which is still managed by DENTSPLY, now operates in about 40 countries, with 5,000 students competing annually. The 2015 Student Clinical Research Program (SCADA) finalists. 26 M AY 2 015 Winner: Mustafa Mian (Ahmed) (University of Adelaide): Craniofacial deformities in premature suture fusion. Runner-up: Ahmad Al-Hassiny (University of Otago): The role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of oral lichen planus. David Zhang (University of Melbourne): Diabetic and cardiovascular risk in patients diagnosed with periodontitis: A pilot study. Ingrid Blomberg (James Cook University): Oral health-related quality of life in adult patients attending a Far North Queensland dental hospital. James Heimuli (Fiji National University): Periodontal status and treatment needs of Down syndrome individuals attending two specialised institutions in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Jonathan Lo (University of Western Australia): Description of total population hospital admissions for cleft lip and/or palate in Australia. muStAFA miAN (AhmED): it’S iN thE gENES Mustafa Mian (Ahmed), formerly from Melbourne, did his premature fusion research as part of his honours degree. Speaking after the SCADA event, he said a number of genes were believed to be responsible for the disorder but the evidence was not yet conclusive. The work is ongoing but so far Mustafa and his fellow researchers have found that these are novel genes that are affecting craniofacial morphogenesis. “They are having unique effects that we didn’t previously think were happening. “The direction of the research is towards efficacy and less invasive treatments, reducing the frequency and the need for surgery, and as part of a bigger question, can we use molecular-based treatments for children with these conditions? It’s an area I want to be involved in, in the future.” Mustafa said that given the calibre of his fellow competitors and their projects, he was genuinely surprised to win. “It was a privilege to meet them and compete with them and it’s an honour to go on and represent them in Washington. I’m very excited about meeting the leaders in my field and talking to them about the direction that our research is headed in.” He sees real benefits for participants and dentistry in general in the SCADA program. “The most significant thing is the way that SCADA develops future leaders and future researchers. I spent four days with the other finalists and I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if any of them became specialists or heads of schools or are on the board of the Australian Dental Association over the next five to 10 years.” Mustafa said he would recommend the SCADA program to any student doing dental research. “The biggest challenge is finding the time alongside your normal study work but if I had the chance to do it again I would absolutely jump on it. Far and away the most important advice I would have for someone entering SCADA is to choose a topic you’re interested in. When you’re presenting and talking about your research, that passion comes through. It’s one thing the judges look for: how engaging is your presentation and your research?” “the SCADA Australia research entries were excellent and certainly on a par with dental student research in other developed countries...” pRAiSE FOR SCADA AuStRALiA ENtRiES DENTSPLY International Vice-President and Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Terri Dolan was impressed by the young researchers she met in Brisbane. “The SCADA Australia research entries were excellent and certainly on a par with dental student research in other developed countries, including the US program,” she said. “Each student was very appreciative of the SCADA experience. In some cases, this was their first experience at a national dental congress and/or his first trip to Australia. The group bonded almost immediately and obviously enjoyed the fellowship offered by the SCADA program. There is no doubt in my mind that each of these participants will go on to do great things as leaders in the dental profession.” Dr Dolan, former Dean at the University of Florida College of Dentistry said there was concern, at least in the US, about how to keep dentistry as a learned profession. “How do we identify and support the creative and critical thinking of our new dental students. How do we support them with their research and how will we continue to develop a workforce that is creative and understands and helps us develop new products and materials, and advance the science with the ultimate goal of improving oral health care?” Dr Dolan said DENTSPLY was doing its part with the SCADA program, which is a rare example of a research competition open only to dental under-graduates. “The program is designed to create an excitement, an experience, bringing together students from across dental schools and across countries who are motivated and interested in pursuing science in support of dentistry and improving dental care. It is a research competition, so the competition element is important, but to me as an educator the greater importance is really the networking and the recognition of these students. SCADA requires them to go above and beyond their already busy lives, so it’s a really nice way to celebrate their extra effort and encourage them to continue and become the future leaders of dentistry.” Dr Dolan also noted that through its global expansion, SCADA had opened up opportunities for dental students in developing countries. Why WOuLD A DENtAL StuDENt ENtER SCADA? SCADA participants invariably enjoyed the experience, Dr Dolan said. “In most cases SCADA opens up a lot more possibilities for them in terms of how they can direct their careers and what their career development might look like. If I were to give personal advice I would want to make sure they have the time and can make the commitment to do the initial project. Once they do that, it’s well worth the effort. Most of them tell us, ‘Wow, I didn’t think this would be such a cool experience’.” 2015 winner, Mustafa Mian (Ahmed). Peter Watt DENTSPLY (Australia) Pty Ltd M AY 2 015 27 DENTAL VOLUNTEERS Congress, Brisbane 2015 The Volunteers Committee had a busy presence at the Dental Congress, with a three-pronged exposure requiring solid, behind the scenes, preparatory work. It is a credit to the Committee members that, by their own voluntary contributions, successful outcomes in all three areas were realised. vOLuNtEER FORum At the 2015 Congress, one of the innovations was three 90-minute inaugural lunchtime fora. The forum on volunteering was held on Friday, 27 March. With the Congress theme ‘The Future is Here’ very much in mind, the Volunteers Committee aimed at guided interaction with the attendees over several topics and issues identified as common to many projects. A panel of Committee members spoke briefly and engaged actively with a wide range of volunteers and those interested in volunteering in the future. The passion of establishing new areas of help was powerfully expressed, while cynicism as to how much help is really delivered was explored. Wonderful lifelong commitment by individuals was noted, while the constraints and frustrations of working within complex regulatory systems was acknowledged and discussed. The time flew and it was suddenly 2 pm and it was time to wrap up for more lectures. Those attending left with valuable insights and a sense of shared experience that will help sustain future efforts. vOLuNtEER ACtivitiES The second area of the Volunteers Committee’s activity was the traditional lecture session. Held on the Thursday before lunch, Dr David Digges spoke with eloquence and authority on the National Dental Foundation (NDF) and its activities. Positing the activities of the NDF in modern urban Australia, David demonstrated how any ADA member can become involved in worthwhile effort in the safety of their own environment. By extension David’s presentation Dr Benlee Yap. explored many issues that all projects face, whether domestic or overseas, urban or remote. Following this, two young speakers gave short expositions of their volunteer experience. Dr Benlee Yap and Dr Thuy Tran spoke of their recent efforts and the affect it has had on their outlook on practising their profession. As representatives of the next generation of volunteers, they really did show the ‘Future is Here’. vOLuNtEER bOOth Finally, there was a presence by the Committee at a ‘Volunteer Booth’ within the ADA ‘family’ stand. As in past years, the booth has power to entice new volunteers to enquire about projects. A wonderful and cooperative spirit exemplified the carefully organised and colourful display. Always with the power to stir passions, the interchange amongst representatives of these projects attending was a pleasure to observe. With literally thousands of attendees as a passing parade, there is no doubt there are many who now know more about volunteering within our profession. Volunteering is something which all ADA members should be proud to undertake! The philanthropic efforts of so many of us should be regularly shown to the community at large. How we are appreciated as a profession, and ultimately what we can give back, is at least partly defined by the opportunities that volunteer projects afford. The Volunteers Committee continues to work to expand that consciousness within and without the folds of the ADA. Simon Shanahan Chairman SPC Dental Volunteers Further information on volunteering is available at: http://www.ada.org.au/members/Volunteers/dental_volunteers.aspx Dr Thuy Tran. 28 M AY 2 015 International College of Dentists INDUCTION IN BRISBANE The Australasian Section of the International College of Dentists conducted an induction ceremony in Brisbane on Friday, 27 March at the time of the 36th Dental Congress. The induction and dinner were attended by 120 Fellows and guests. Thirty-one new Fellows were inducted into the International College. NEW FELLOWS Chrys Antoniou (NSW) Ramesh Balasubramaniam (WA) Thomas Berekally (SA) Mina Borromeo (VIC) John Brabant (NSW) Penny Burns (NSW) David Figdor (VIC) Patricia Gerish (QLD) Max Guazzato (NSW) Robert Hazlewood (QLD) Raymond Heffer (QLD) Jeffrey Hislop (QLD) Christopher Ho (QLD) Steven Kazoullis (QLD) Kang Kim (WA) Poon Lai (QLD) Mark Leedham (NT) Thomas Lind (NSW) Michael McCullough (VIC) Paul McHugh (SA) Stephen Routley (WA) Lakshman Samaranayake (QLD) Jocelyn Shand (VIC) Murray Thomas (ACT) Inducted in absentia were: Manish Arora (USA) Justin Boulton (QLD) Mark Evans (VIC) Pauline Ford (QLD) Ross Fulcher (QLD) Mohammed Mansour (QLD) Patrick Tseng (NSW) Petrina Bowden speaks about the M’Lop Tapang Program in Cambodia. guESt SpEAKER Dr Petrina Bowden (Queensland) was the guest speaker at the induction ceremony. Petrina gave an inspiring presentation about her volunteer work in Cambodia over the past ten years. New Fellows inducted into the Australasian Section of the International College of Dentists at the ADA Congress held in Brisbane in March 2015. 30 M AY 2 015 Dr Clive Ross CNZM, Master International College of Dentists with Dr Jackie Robinson, President ICD. Dr Peter Noblet AM, Honorary Life Member International College of Dentists. SpECiAL pRESENtAtiONS NEXt iNDuCtiON – AuCKLAND Special presentations were made to Dr Peter Noblet AM (SA) and to Dr Clive Ross CNZM (NZ). Peter was made an Honorary Life Member in recognition of his contributions to the Australasian Section of ICD. Clive was made a Master of ICD in recognition of his contribution to ICD spanning 15 years. Clive has served on both the Australasian Board and on the International Council and Executive. The next ICD induction ceremony will be held in Auckland on 20 August 2015 at the time of the New Zealand Dental Association Conference. Jackie Robinson President International College of Dentistry Annual Scientific Meeting Dates: Thursday - Saturday, 12 - 14 November 2015 Venue: Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa and Clinical Skills Centre, School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD Scientific Program: Thursday: Emergency Management Skills Workshop (CPD: 6 Scientific Hours) Can you implement DRSABCD and ABCDE protocols in an emergency? This workshop develops the practical skills and knowledge to recognise and manage the deteriorating patient and medical emergencies. This day is designed to prepare participants for the Friday Medical Emergencies and the Sedated Dental Patient sedation re-endorsement course, but is also very useful if you are operating on sedated patients or have already done your re-endorsement elsewhere to improve your performance in future emergencies. Friday: Medical Emergencies and the Sedated Dental Patient (CPD: 6 Scientific Hours) - Sedation Re-endorsement Course The ultimate immersive experience with hi-fidelity simulation of medical emergencies to improve performance, teamwork and communications during emergencies. This is an accredited refresher course for AHPRA re-endorsement of intravenous dental sedationists. We recommend attendance at the Emergency Management Skills Workshop to get the most out of this course. (Limited to 36 participants) Saturday: Annual Scientific Meeting (CPD: 6.5 Scientific Hours) Dr Keira Mason, Harvard University, an internationally renowned Paediatric Dental Anaesthetist, Vice President World Society of Intravenous Anaesthesia and author of Paediatric Sedation Outside the Operating Room, speaking on this and Improving Safety in Sedation Prof Mike Nordstrom, Medical Physiologist, Adelaide University School of Medicine & RACDS Examiner on the Physiology of Collapse Kellie Dell’Oro (Meridian Lawyers) and Leanne Toby (Guild Insurance) on Avoiding Costly Mistakes and Lessons to be learnt from cases If you are involved in Sedation, you should be doing CPD in Sedation! The Australian Society of Dental Anaesthesiology is the peak body in Dental Sedation in Australia, and a not-for-profit ADA Affiliated Society dedicated to improving patient safety and comfort by the advancement of education in anaesthesiology, pain and anxiety management. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION OR TO JOIN ASDA GO TO: WWW.ASDA.NET.AU 32 M AY 2 015 CONVOCATION ACADEMY OF DENTISTRY INTERNATIONAL Australasia Section On the evening of Thursday, 26 March distinguished guests, Fellows, 24 new Inductees, their partners and guests gathered for a memorable occasion at the prestigious Queensland Club for the Academy of Dentistry International (ADI) – Australasian Section Convocation. iNDuCtiON OF NEW FELLOWS The new inductees were made Fellows of the Academy. Officiating was the retiring Regent Dr Eddie Street AM and the incoming Regent Dr John Pearman. With the assistance of Past Regent and Past International President, Dr Reg Hession AM and in the presence of Dr Ramon Baez, current International President and Dr Robert Ramus the official party witnessed the meaningful induction of the very worthy candidates. SpECiAL CitAtiON – ALiStAiR DEvLiN A special moment for all occurred when the wife and son of the late Dr Alistair Devlin were called upon to receive a special Citation honouring the induction of Alistair to the K R Allen Award that was posthumously conferred after Alistair’s untimely passing in 2013. This award honours the memory of Kevin Allen who, at the time of his sudden death in 1997, was the Regent for this Section of the Academy of Dentistry International and also the Presidentelect of the International body. Alistair Malcolm Devlin was born in Australia on 6 November 1947 and passed away on 22 March 2013 aged 65 years. He was a musical, humourous, generous, diplomatic, humble, sporting family man. DiNNER Following photos on the terrace of the historic Queensland Club building, the group retired to dinner as the guest of Eddie Street AM. We were Eddie’s guests and, as is his wont, he did not disappoint! As mentioned Eddie is the retiring Regent, but ‘retiring’ is in no way appropriate to describe the ‘event’ that followed. How many lives are you leading? We can help with them all. Like all dental professionals, you have two lives – your work life and your home life. At BOQ Specialist, we work so closely with our clients that we get to know both. So we’ve created the BOQ Specialist Banking Package. It combines a residential mortgage with a credit card and a flexible, everyday bank account that accrues favourable interest on balances in your account. All for one annual fee of $395. Visit us at boqspecialist.com.au/twolives or speak to our financial specialists on 1300 131 141. 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We reserve the right to cease offering these products at any time without notice. Any advice is of a general nature only. We haven’t taken into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs when preparing it. Before acting on this advice you should consider if it’s appropriate for your situation. You should obtain and consider the BOQ Specialist Banking Terms and Conditions from boqspecialist.com.au/ banking before making any decision about whether to acquire the product. BOQ Specialist is not offering financial, tax or legal advice. You should obtain independent financial, tax and legal advice as appropriate. BOQS001173 V1 10/14 M AY 2 015 33 Eddie Street with Helen and Richard Devlin as Alistair Devlin’s posthumous citation for the Kevin R Allen award is presented. Newly inducted Fellows of the Academy of Dentistry International – Australasian Section and Board members. Music was skilfully presented; an audio-visual presentation commenced a thematic creation that went on through the entertainment for the evening. Firstly, by video, we witnessed a captivating presentation by The Queensland Symphony Orchestra as a ‘flash mob’ celebrating their move to the South Bank (the ADA Congress venue) with a rendition entitled ‘Building Bolero…’ The Bolero theme then continued with live music by the string ensemble, The Brisbane City Soloists, a group founded in 2013 by Russian born director, Emin Tagiev. Finally in his inimitable style, Eddie Street concluded the Bolero theme with a belly dancer (Middle Eastern dance specialist), Ambyr Johnston. Never (rarely?) have the hallowed halls of the Queensland Club quite vibrated to this third and final Bolero interpretation! The dance ended with this correspondent draped with a muslin veil and the crowd wanting more. Eddie once again demonstrating that he remains ever the ‘Master of the Occasion’. Throughout the night, speeches by Ramon Baez the International President, toasts and an address by both John Pearman and Eddie Street were enjoyed by all at what could be described as a very successful mid Congress function. Simon Shanahan Vice Regent Academy of Dentistry International – Australasia Section Why GOOGLE? Find what you want quickly and easily at: www.dentaltradeonline.com.au The information dentists need is now at their fingertips! Support this ADA membership service. Visit Dental Trade Online regularly to view its growth. 2011-DTO-Ad-A5.indd 1 34 M AY 2 015 30/09/11 3:48 PM ADRF news Supporting dental research improves THE ORAL HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY The Australian Dental Research Foundation (ADRF) was established 45 years ago to stimulate dental, oral and craniofacial research in Australia for the improvement of oral health of our communities. The Foundation has funded well over 1,800 research grants and scholarships over that time to the tune of millions of dollars. Currently, the Foundation is the single largest provider of funding for dental research in Australia, and has stimulated the research careers of many of our young and more established dental researchers. Recently, I have taken on the role of Chair of the Foundation, and have always been amazed at the quality and breadth of research being undertaken in our universities and dental schools. As someone with a long history within the dental industry, I am always intrigued by the clinical and translational benefits that flow from dental research funded by the Foundation. In my current role as Chair of the Foundation, I am striving to expand on the work commenced by our previous Chair, Professor Contemporary Endodontics - Where Are We Now? Professor Ove Peters Professor and Co-Chair of Department of Endodontics, San Francisco Friday, 10th July 2015 8:30am - 5:00pm The Westin Sydney 1 Martin Place, Sydney ASE_Ad_Bulletin_May.indd 1 Dr Mark Evans Endodontist, Melbourne Dr Marcus Yan Endodontist, Sydney Register Now! www.wired.ivvy.com/event/ASE15/ Contact ADA NSW Centre for Professional Development on 02 8436 9997 or email [email protected] for further details. Australian Society of Endodontology guarantees their courses/workshops are compliant with Section 4 of the Dental Board of Australia Guidelines on Continuing Professional Development. Dr David Cable Endodontist, Sydney Costs: ASE Members: $550 Non Members: $600 Students: $375 6.5 CPD Hours 9/04/2015 9:23:20 AM M AY 2 015 35 ADRF news Ian Meyers, in growing our donation base in order to continually fund projects of the highest calibre. In this sense, last year the Foundation undertook a strategic review of its aims and directions and will be pursuing a more structured marketing and fundraising strategy to increase the level of funds available to the Research Advisory Committee for distribution to well deserving dental researchers. Concurrently, this move has been mirrored by enhancements to the review process undertaken by the Chair of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) and the current Vice Chair of the Foundation, Professor Camile Farah and his team. The standard of submitted applications has risen over the last three years and as funding levels have declined, placing more pressure on the RAC to fund only the best of projects. This is by no means a negative reflection on those who miss out on funding, as many high quality projects cannot be funded due to limited resources, highlighting the importance of your support. The juxta positioning of these two issues (high quality research and limited funding dollars) was no more evident than in the last round of Foundation funding. “...last year the Foundation undertook a strategic review of its aims and directions...to increase the level of funds available...” Dr Jessri delivered a short speech, thanked the Foundation for funding and supporting her research on oral cancer, and recognised the mentorship of her supervisor Professor Farah. Not only was the quality of the research grant recognised by the Foundation, but indeed by the Australian and New Zealand Division of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) where Maryam took out top honours by winning the postgraduate category in the Colgate Competition for research she had undertaken with Foundation funding. Maryam was privileged to represent the ANZ Division of the IADR at the recent General Meeting of the IADR in Boston 2015, and compete for the coveted IADR Unilever Hatton Award. It was no surprise then to find out that she was the first place winner of the Senior Clinical Research Category of this prestigious award, a fact I did not appreciate fully until meeting this young, enthusiastic and well supported researcher. As Chair of the Foundation, my pleasure in presenting Dr Jessri with her awards was magnified by my knowledge of the importance of her recent success in Boston. The research funding by ADRF enabled her to undertake such high quality research and not only to compete with the best in the world, but was able to surpass this in such a competitive international environment. L to R: Maryam Jessri and Pam Clark. ADRF At CONgRESS At the recent Australian Dental Congress held in March at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, I had the pleasure in recognising one such talented dental researcher at the Foundation’s Cocktail Party held on the evening of Friday, 27 March 2015 in the Plaza Gallery. The event was well attended with over 80 guests from ADA Federal and Branch representatives, ADIA and Exhibitors at Congress. The Party was an opportunity to meet with the ADRF Board of Directors, ADRF supporters and benefactors, researchers who had received ADRF funding, and Award winners. The Cocktail Party highlighted the importance of dental research and the need for ongoing support by the profession and industry of the Foundation. It was at this function I was introduced to Dr Maryam Jessri, a recently completed PhD student under the supervision of Professor Farah formerly at the University of Queensland. Maryam had secured funding for three projects with her supervisor, and was the winner of the Oral Medicine Academy of Australasia Research Award for the highest ranked research project in the area of oral medicine, and the Australian Dental Industry Association Award for the highest ranked research grant in the 2014 round. 36 M AY 2 015 It is no secret that the dollar value of the grants the Foundation supports is much less than those provided by government organisations such as the National Health and Medical Research Council. The Foundation is proud to offer our best researchers with appropriate funds to undertake the highest quality research and provide them with the opportunity to leverage these funds to grow their research initiatives and collaborations as was the case in this example with additional funding contributions provided to Dr Jessri’s supervisor by Agilent Technologies and Life Technologies. What is evident is the Foundation not only plays an important role in initiating and stimulating dental research at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and early career researcher levels, but is an important mechanism for fuelling larger scale research activities by our senior researchers. thANK yOu tO ALL SuppORtERS On behalf of the Foundation Executive, I wish to sincerely thank all ADA and ADIA members for their ongoing generous support of the ADRF, and draw your attention to the opportunity to donate* to the Foundation so we may continue to fund dental research of the highest quality, and support the dental researchers of the future as they build their careers. After all, it is only through fostering and supporting dental research that we can improve the oral health of our community. Pam Clark Chair Australian Dental Research Foundation Donation form enclosed with this issue.