AAOM Moderators and Speakers

Moderators

Sunday Akintoye, BDS, DDS, MS

Dr. Akintoye is a clinician-scientist whose research focuses on metabolic bone disorders, orofacial complications of cancer therapies, and cancer health disparities. His work has advanced the understanding of orofacial mesenchymal stem cells and their unique role in jaw bone regeneration, oral bone healing, and the prevention of jaw osteonecrosis. He also investigates racial disparities in odontogenic tumors, particularly ameloblastoma recurrence.
His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation, and several other organizations. Dr. Akintoye has been recognized by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for his contributions and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 2015–2016.
Disclosure: Dr. Akintoye has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Sean Meehan, DMD

Dr. Meehan is the Chief Dental Officer and Assistant Dean in the Office of Clinical Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, where he also serves as Professor of Clinical Oral Medicine. A retired Captain in the United States Navy Dental Corps, he held numerous leadership positions throughout his military career, culminating in his appointment as Dean of the Naval Postgraduate Dental School in Bethesda, Maryland.
Dr. Meehan earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania after completing his undergraduate studies in biology, cum laude, at Colgate University. He completed a General Practice Residency at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, an Oral Medicine Residency at the National Institutes of Health, and a Military Fellowship with The Joint Commission.
Disclosure: Dr. Meehan has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Thomas Sollecito, DMD, FDS, RCSEd

Dr. Sollecito is Chair of the Department of Oral Medicine and Professor of Oral Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. He previously served as Interim Dean (2008–2009), Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Director of the Oral Medicine Residency Program. He is also an Attending in Oral Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and a Clinical Associate at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Sollecito earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology, cum laude, from Villanova University and his DMD, with honors, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. A Diplomate in Oral Medicine and Fellow and Diplomate in Hospital Dentistry with the Special Care Dentistry Association, he is an active member of several professional organizations and serves as a reviewer for leading dental journals. He has authored numerous publications and textbook chapters on oral medicine, including facial pain, mucosal diseases, and the care of medically complex dental patients.
Disclosure: Dr. Sollecito has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Eric Stoopler, DMD

Dr. Stoopler completed his undergraduate studies at S.U.N.Y Binghamton in 1994 and earned his DMD from Penn in 1999. He completed a General Practice Residency at the Brooklyn VA Hospital in 2000 and an Oral Medicine Fellowship at Penn in 2002. Dr. Stoopler maintains an active clinical oral medicine practice at Penn Medicine and is a Consultant to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Stoopler received many teaching and service awards during his career. Dr. Stoopler is a member of Penn Medicine’s Academy of Master Clinicians. He is a Past President of the American Academy of Oral Medicine and during his presidency, Dr. Stoopler organized the effort that resulted in Oral Medicine becoming the 11th dental specialty recognized by the American Dental Association.
Disclosure: Dr. Stoopler has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Takako Tanaka, DDS

Dr. Tanaka is a Professor of Clinical Oral Medicine and the Program Director of the Postgraduate Oral Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Michigan.
She is board-certified by the American Board of Oral Medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Her clinical expertise includes oral mucosal diseases, oral cancer, and orofacial pain disorders. Dr. Tanaka provides consultation services and delivers continuing education lectures at dental societies both nationally and internationally. She is currently accepting new patients at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine in Philadelphia and Penn Medicine at Radnor.
Disclosure: Dr. Tanaka has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Speakers

Faizan Alawi, DDS

Dr. Alawi earned his D.D.S. degree from McGill University in 1996. He subsequently completed a General Practice Residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, New York, serving as a Resident (1996–1997) and then as Chief Resident (1997–1998). He went on to pursue specialized training as a Resident in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens (1998–2001). In 2001, Dr. Alawi joined the University of Pennsylvania as an Assistant Professor, holding appointments in the Department of Pathology at the School of Dental Medicine, the Department of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine, and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine. He was promoted to Full Professor of Pathology in 2020. He also serves as Director of Penn Oral Pathology Services and Clinical Laboratory Director at Penn Dental Medicine. Dr. Alawi has also held several key leadership roles. In 2015, he was appointed Assistant Dean for Curriculum, followed by Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in 2017. In 2024, he was named Vice Dean for Academics. In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Alawi was selected as a member of the prestigious Penn Fellows cohort in 2020. He was also conferred the status of Honorary Alumnus of Penn Dental Medicine in 2026. Dr. Alawi’s academic and research interests include oral epithelial dysplasia and oral cancer, and the integration of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence into dental education and diagnostic pathology.
Disclosure: Dr. Alawi  has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Arwa Farag, BDS, DMSc

Arwa Farag is an Associate Professor & Consultant at King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Dentistry in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA. Dr. Farag is the Treasurer of the AAOM, a Steering Member of the World Workshop on Oral Medicine, and a Founding Member of the Saudi Society of Oral Medicine. Her education includes a BDS from King Saud University, a clinical training in oral medicine and a Doctor of Medical Science from Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and a fellowship in Orofacial Pain from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. She holds certifications from the American Board of Oral Medicine and the American Board of Orofacial Pain, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Disclosure: Dr. Farag has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.