Dr. Michael Glick assumed this role July 1, 2021, bringing a depth of experience in academic leadership. From 2009-2015, he served as Dean of the University of Buffalo, SUNY, School of Dental Medicine where he most recently remained as Professor of Oral Diagnostic Sciences (2009-2021). Prior to his time at Buffalo, he was Professor of Oral Medicine at Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A.T. Still University, also holding the post of Associate Dean of Oral-Medical Sciences at the University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine (2007-2009). While part of the faculty at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey from 2001 to 2007, Dr. Glick served as Chairman of the Department of Diagnostic Sciences (2002-2007) and as Director of both the Division of Oral Medicine (2001-2006) and the Postgraduate Training Program in Oral Medicine (2001-2006).
Dr. Alonso Carrasco-Labra, a leading authority in evidence-based health care, is Director of the Cochrane Oral Health Collaborating Center at Penn Dental Medicine and an Associate Professor in the Department of Preventive & Restorative Sciences. Prior to coming to Penn Dental Medicine in October 2021, he served as Senior Director of the Department of Evidence Synthesis and Translation Research within the American Dental Association (ADA) Science and Research Institute and as Director of ADA’s Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry. He has served as clinical practice guideline and policy methodologist for the Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO), the World Bank, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), as well as governments and health care agencies worldwide. For many years, Dr. Carrasco-Labra has also been active in the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent global organization internationally recognized as the benchmark for high-quality information about the effectiveness of health care.
Olivia Urquhart is an Instructor in the Department of Preventive & Restorative Sciences. Before joining Penn Dental Medicine in September 2022, she served as the lead data analyst and a clinical practice guideline methodologist in the Department of Evidence Synthesis and Translation Research at the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Science & Research Institute. During her tenure at the ADA she authored systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines in oral cancer diagnosis, caries management, acute pain management, antibiotics for pulpitis, and dental interventions prior to radiation for head and neck cancer. Olivia earned a master’s degree in public health with a specialization in epidemiology from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in 2016 and concurrently was a member of the birth defects surveillance research team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
Dr. Julian Fisher, Director of Oral and Planetary Health Policies within the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health, is a leading authority in oral and planetary health at an international level. He has held numerous consultancies with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Education Cultural and Scientific Organization, and the United Nations Environment Program. He is Director of the German-based nongovernmental organization, Zero Water Day Partnership.
Dr. Stephen Abel has had a distinguished career in the field of oral health and currently serves as a faculty member at the Center of Integrative Global Oral Health with an academic appointment as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry. Dr. Abel earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from New York University and completed a dental residency program at the Eastman Dental Center. He further enhanced his expertise with a Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) and specialized training in periodontics at the University of Minnesota.
Before joining Penn Dental Medicine in 2023, Dr. Abel held significant positions in other academic institutions. From 2013 to 2021, he was the Associate Dean for Students, Community and Professional Initiatives at the State University of New York, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Prior to this, he served as a Professor of Periodontics and Associate Dean for Extramural Affairs at Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine from 2005 to 2013.
A major focus of Dr. Abel’s work has been addressing oral health disparities, particularly through the development of dental programs for underserved communities. He has led two significant projects funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), focusing on expanding dental care to individuals with disabilities and victims of intimate partner violence. His efforts in the field of HIV/AIDS are notable, having received multiple grants and awards from the HIV AIDS Bureau at HRSA. These grants have supported both direct care of persons with HIV and training of dental students in managing oral health issues associated with HIV.
In addition to his clinical and administrative roles, Dr. Abel is a prolific author. He has written numerous monographs, publications, and training materials focusing on the oral health management of medically complex patients and the integration of medical screenings in dental settings.
Dr. Abel’s contributions to the field extend to advocacy and policy. He was the first dentist to serve on the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the Clinton Administration. Currently, he is a member of the Santa Fe Group, a think tank dedicated to improving lives through advancements in oral health. His career is marked by a commitment to transforming oral health education, service, and practice, making significant strides in bridging gaps in care and knowledge in the oral health field.
Ankita Bhosale is the program coordinator at the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health (CIGOH). Prior to her role at CIGOH, which she began in January 2023, she completed her Master of Public Health at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. She has worked in the Department of Analysis and Evaluation at GMHC, an NGO working to fight the AIDS epidemic and support the lives of those who are affected by it in New York city. Ankita obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Dental Surgery in April 2020 from India. She is particularly interested in the intersection of data and health care systems and the broader aspects of population health.
Adjunct Faculty
Professor Raman Bedi joined the University as an adjunct Professor in 2022. Previous roles have been the director of the International Centre for Child Oral Health, King’s College London (2006-2018) and the Chief Dental Officer for England (2002-5), director of the WHO Collaborating centre for oral health, culture and disability (1998-2008). He was the founding chair of the World Federation of Public Health Associations oral health group and re-elected for 3 terms of office (2012 – 2021). Founding co-chair of the Alliance for cavity free future and a life member of the UK charity – the Children’s society.
He leads the Senior Dental Leadership programme (2007 – present) now in its 15th year and a collaboration between King’s College London and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Brings experience of academic institution leadership with international organizational chairing experience as well as influencing dental health policy at the highest level in the UK and beyond.
Professor Raman Bedi is well-connected across the global dentistry, a recognized dental educator and one of the few researchers to be awarded a Doctor of Science by the University of Bristol (2003) for his contribution to dental research and a Doctor of Humane Letters (2010) by AT Still University (Arizona) for his academic contribution to the social sciences. He has published over 249 scientific papers and his Research gate score is over 40; Citations 6505 and an h-index 48.
Brings demonstrable evidence of passion for inclusion to address the inequalities for the disadvantaged in the wider society and in the dental sphere.
Caswell Evans is a faculty member at the UIC School of Public Health. Previously he was the Executive Editor and Project Director for Oral Health in America: A Report of the U.S. Surgeon General, released in 2000. For the last twelve years, Dr. Evans was Director of Public Health Programs and Services, and Assistant Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and was a member of NAM Committee on Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations. His research interests are in racism and oral health, oral health inequities, and community-based dentistry.
Carol Guarnizo-Herreño is a Colombian public health dentist and researcher. Her research interests include socioeconomic inequalities in oral health and the social determinants of health. She has been the recipient of scholarships from Fulbright, UCL (University College London) and the Newton Fund. She has published various peer reviewed publications and book chapters, and has led grants funded by the Colombian government, University of Iowa, the Newton Fund and NIHR. Currently she works at the National University of Colombia and is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL. Previous to her academic career, Carol worked at the Colombian National Institute of Health and the Secretariat of Health Bogota. Carol holds a BSc in Dentistry and an MSc in Public Health from the National University of Colombia and a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health from UCL. Currently Carol is the co-chair of the Lancet Commission on Oral Health.
Dr. Rodrigo Giacaman is DDS (1994), Prosthodontist – Oral Rehabilitation (1999) from the University of Chile and PhD in Oral Biology from the University of Minnesota, USA (2007). Dr. Giacaman is the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry and Full Professor at the Department of Oral Rehabilitation of the University of Talca in Chile, where he regularly teaches Cariology and Geriatric Dentistry topics at the School of Dentistry and to several graduate programs.
Dr. Giacaman was the founder of the Geriatric Dentistry Research Group (GIOG), the Cariology Unit, the Chilean Academy of Cariology, the Latin American Gerodontology Research Group (GLIOG) of the IADR and the Gerodontology Society of Chile. He has authored more than 100 indexed publications and has worked as principal investigator in several national and international grants.
Dr. Giacaman served as President of the Cariology Research Group of the IADR, is currently Advisory Councilor of ORCA and Associate Editor for Caries Research. He is honorary professor of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Adjunct Professor at the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health – University of Pennsylvania, USA and Visiting Professor at ACTA in The Netherlands. Dr. Giacaman is regularly invited as keynote speaker in national and international conferences.
Stefan Listl is a health economist and dentist. He is a full professor at Radboud University Medical Center (Netherlands), focussing on quality improvement in oral health care. He also directs the Section for Translational Health Economics at Heidelberg University (Germany). He is experienced in scientific health policy, oral health & aging, oral health & nutrition, & global oral health.
Dr. Soraya León is DDS (1993), MSc in Aging and Quality of Life (2012) from the University of Chile, and PhD in Dentistry from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (2018).
Dr. León is the Director Master’s Program in Gerodontology and Associate Professor at the Department of Oral Rehabilitation of the University of Talca in Chile, where she regularly teaches Cariology and Geriatric Dentistry topics at the School of Dentistry and to several graduate programs.
Dr. León is the Director of the Geriatric Dentistry Research Group (GIOG), member of the Cariology Unit at the University of Talca, Coordinator of the Geriatric Dentistry Line of the Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging (CIES) of the Chilean State Universities Consortium, and is Adjunct Professor at the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Dr. León is President of the Gerodontology Society of Chile (SOGCh) and member of European College Gerontology (ECG), Geriatrics and Gerontology Society of Chile (SGGCH), the Latin American Gerodontology Research Group (GLIOG) of the IADR and the IADR Geriatric Oral Research Group (GORG).
She is an expert consultant for the Chilean Ministry of Health, as well as for several universities and associations focusing on oral health for older people. Her research focuses on geriatric cariology, OHRQoL, and education in geriatric dentistry.
Dr. León has authored several book chapters, and indexed publications, and has worked as a principal investigator in several national and international grants. She is reviewer for many international scientific journals and is regularly invited as keynote speaker in national and international conferences.
Professor Mathur is a Dental Surgeon with more than 15 years of global experience of working in different health systems. He has a PhD in Epidemiology and Population Health from University College London and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Glasgow. He is currently working as the Professor of Dental Public Health at Queen Mary University of London (UK) and Head: Health Policy at Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi.
His research focuses on risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), especially tobacco cessation. Professor Mathur has been an advocate for the Universal Health Coverage philosophy and played an active role in ensuring that appropriate quality oral health care is available, affordable, and accessible for all across different health systems.
During his research career, Professor Mathur has received several prestigious research scholarships during his career including the Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholarship in 2010-11, a Wellcome Trust scholarship for his doctoral studies and another Wellcome Trust Mid-Career Fellowship to undertake work on psychosocial determinants of oral health inequalities in India.
Professor Mathur is a Commissioner on the recently constituted Lancet Commission on Global Oral Health and Vice President of the Global Oral Health Inequalities Research Network of International Association for Dental Research. He has more than 100 peer reviewed publications in leading international journals, has been the principal investigator on many projects funded by Government of India, WHO, MRC-UK, BMGF, USAID and NIH-USA. His areas of expertise cover epidemiologic methods, operations, health systems and policy research, and health promotion.
Professor Mathur has also recently been recognized in the top two per cent of impact-making researchers worldwide in the field of Medicine and Public Health. He is also appointed as the Senior Policy Fellow at Queen Mary’s Global Policy Institute.
Dr. Hiroshi Ogawa acquired his dentist qualifications at the Nihon University in Japan, his Masters in Public Health Dentistry at the University of Sydney in Australia and his PhD in Preventive Dentistry at Niigata University in Japan. He has been Head and Professor at the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University.
Dr. Ogawa has been working with WHO (World Health Organization) since 2003 in different capacities. Between 2014 and 2017, Dr. Ogawa has served as responsible dental officer to work with the WHO Oral Health Programme in Geneva Headquarter. Currently, He is a director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Translation of Oral Health Sciences at Niigata University, and also a member of WHO Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing.
Dr. Ogawa has well known to contribute oral health promotion in a global perspective and has assisting oral health capacity development in several countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia and Palau etc. Since 2018, He has serving FDI (World Dental Federation) as a member of the Public Health Committee. Dr. Ogawa also works for clinical research to explore the integration of oral diseases and general diseases (NCDs) that supports for implementation of the common risk factor approach.
Rick Rader is the Director of Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center, a private non-profit organization that serves adults and children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). He is the Editor in chief of Exceptional Parent Magazine and has published over 300 article in the field. He is the VP of Public Policy and Advocacy at the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry and serves on the Board of the American Association on Health and Disability. He is a member of the Medical Advisory Committee at Special Olympics International and is the Medical Adviser at the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals. Dr. Rader is a member of the Steering Committee at the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices. He is an adjunct professor of Human Development at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Kaz Rafia serves as the Chief Dental Officer and EVP of Health Equity at CareQuest Institute for Oral Health where he leads the organization’s philanthropy and health transformation teams. He is a member of the Massachusetts Special Commission on Oral Health and Board of Registration in Dentistry.
Previously, Kaz served as the State Dental Director for Oregon, where among other initiatives, he led the effort to expand Medicaid adult dental benefits for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kaz is an alumnus of The Ohio State College of Dentistry, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and The University of Illinois College of Business.
Georgios Tsakos is Professor of Dental Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London (UCL). He is also Honorary Consultant in Dental Public Health with the National Health Service (CNWL NHS Foundation Trust) and with the Department of Health and Social Care (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) in the UK.
He is currently Chair of the Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe and has served as President of the European Association of Dental Public Health. He was also President of the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) Behavioral Epidemiological and Health Services Research group.
The UCL Dental Public Health Group is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre of Oral Health Inequalities and Public Health, and George contributes to the WHO work on oral health. He was a member of the Oral Health Working Group of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) and is involved in World Dental Federation (FDI) programs.
His research is on: oral health inequalities and the social determinants of health; oral health and quality of life outcomes; oral health and healthy ageing; and links between oral and general health.
Advisory Board
The Honorable Steven L. Beshear served from 2007-2015 as the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Governor Beshear has a long background in public service, having served as a state representative in the Kentucky General Assembly, attorney general and lieutenant governor.
Governor Beshear shepherded Kentucky through the global economic recession, earning the Commonwealth national recognition for job creation and business investment. Recognizing that Kentucky’s long-term success would require building a stronger workforce, he also worked aggressively to improve the core areas of education and health. During Governor Beshear’s administration, Kentucky became a national leader in education reform, moving the state into the top ten states in the country in high school graduation rates. He expanded the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act and launched the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange, which served over 500,000 Kentuckians.
He is the author of People Over Politics, a book about how to make our broken system of government work again. He served as a Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, as a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, and as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health in 2018. Governor Beshear resides in Kentucky.
Dr. William Cheung is a 1981 DMD and 1982 Certificate of General Practice Residency graduate of Penn Dental Medicine. He is an Emeritus member of the Penn Dental Medicine Board of Advisors and an Emeritus Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania. Living and practicing in his native Hong Kong where he heads a multi-specialty dental practice, Dr. Cheung is a leader in continuing education program development throughout Hong Kong and beyond. He serves as a member of the Hong Kong Dental Association Professional Education Committee and is the Chairman of the Education Committee of the FDI World Dental Federation. In addition, Dr. Cheung is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, Academy of Dentistry International, International College of Dentists, American College of Dentists, International Academy for Dental Facial Esthetics, and Pierre Fauchard Academy. Dr. Cheung resides in Hong Kong.
Consultant and Paul G. Rogers Ambassador for Global Health Research, Lois K. Cohen, PhD, is formerly Associate Director for International Health, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health. She earned a PhD in sociology from Purdue University (1963), where she also received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (1989), the first sociologist to have been awarded that honor from Purdue. During her more than 58-year career having had visiting faculty appointments at both Howard University and Harvard University, she spent most of those years with the U.S. Government both as a researcher and a health science administrator. She edited and authored four volumes on the social sciences and dentistry and published more than 150 professional journal articles. She co-directed two major multinational collaborative studies with the World Health Organization on nationally developed oral health care delivery systems.
Dr. Cohen has served or currently serves on various organizational boards including: Foundation Against HIV/AIDS in Africa, the Journal of the American Dental Association, the Friends of the Organization of Safety, Aespsis and Prevention, the Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund, The Alliance for Oral Health across Borders, the Caplin Family Charities, the Regulatory Affairs Society’s Global Advisory Council, Humble Smile Foundation, and the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. She regularly serves as an expert consultant to the World Health Organization in Geneva, its regional offices in the Americas (Pan American Health Organization) and the African region as well as various universities and associations focusing on global health through oral health.
Richard Cohen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), has led the organization since 1980. Dr. Cohen leads more than 3,500 employees, more than 350 public health programs and a family of subsidiary organizations. Regionally and nationally, Dr. Cohen is sought not only for his depth of experience in public health delivery and management, but also for his insight into the underlying issues. This is evidenced by his more than 30 publications and conference presentations that get to the heart of addressing public health dilemmas, with insight into the marketing of human services, developing leadership, establishing public/private partnerships, assessing long-term verses short-term costs, understanding hospital utilization patterns, and many other critical topics.
John D. Kemp, Esq., is an accomplished executive widely respected for his many achievements in the corporate and nonprofit worlds. He has decades of experience in the disability movement as a disabled leader. He currently serves as President and CEO of the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham, Alabama, an internationally renowned organization, serving over 4,000 unique individuals annually through physical activity, sport, recreation, advocacy, policy and research. Lakeshore serves as an Olympic and Paralympic Training Site, strengthening the ongoing commitment to the development of para sports. Mr. Kemp’s previous leadership roles include serving as the National Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, President and CEO of VAS Arts and VSA Arts International, and as General Counsel and Vice President of Development for the National Easter Seal Society, among others.
Professor Sir Michael G. Marmot MBBS, MPH, PhD, FRCP, FFPHM, FMedSci, FBA is Director of the Institute of Health Equity (UCL Department of Epidemiology & Public Health).
Sir Michael Marmot has been Professor of Epidemiology at University College London since 1985. He is the author of The Health Gap: the challenge of an unequal world (Bloomsbury: 2015), and Status Syndrome: how your place on the social gradient directly affects your health (Bloomsbury: 2004). Professor Marmot is the Advisor to the WHO Director-General, on social determinants of health, in the new WHO Division of Healthier Populations; Distinguished Visiting Professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong (2019-), and co-Director of the of the CUHK Institute of Health Equity. Marmot has led research groups on health inequalities for nearly 50 years. He chaired the Commission on Equity and Health Inequalities in the Americas and chaired the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH), and produced the report entitled: ‘Closing the Gap in a Generation’ in August 2008. In 2000 he was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen, for services to epidemiology and the understanding of health inequalities
Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA, serves as the President and CEO of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. A physician and business executive, Dr. Minter-Jordan leads a dynamic team of professional and clinical experts committed to building a future where every person can reach their full potential through excellent health. Through Dr. Minter-Jordan’s leadership, CareQuest Institute operates as a catalyst for systems change, bringing forth ideas and solutions to create a more equitable, accessible, and integrated health system for everyone. Before joining CareQuest Institute, Dr. Minter-Jordan served as chief medical officer and CEO of the Dimock Center, one of the largest community health centers in Massachusetts Dr. Minter-Jordan has served as an attending physician and instructor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She also invests personal time in her community, serving on several boards and committees, including BlueShield of California, The Boston Foundation, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Point 32 Health, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Dr. Garry Rayant is a dental specialist in periodontics & implant dentistry, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the editor-in-chief emeritus and was co-founder and partner in Dear Doctor Magazine, Inc, a print and on-line national consumer healthcare magazine. Dr. Rayant is a graduate of the London Hospital Medical College Dental School (1972) and holds a master’s degree in behavioral science (1975) and is a graduate of Penn Dental Medicine’s postdoctoral periodontal program (1977). He has interest and expertise in oral epidemiology & dental public health. Dr. Rayant resides in San Francisco, CA.
Professor Watt is the Co-chair of the Lancet Commission on Oral Health and a Professor of Dental Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London. His research focuses on exploring the social determinants of oral health inequities and in developing and evaluating effective oral health improvement interventions.
Mr. Welters is an associate at BlackIvy Group, a development holding company with operations in Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya. BlackIvy Group builds, manages and operates businesses in healthcare, logistics, and commercial and residential real estate.
Visiting Scholar
Cornelia has over two decades of experience as a humanitarian practitioner with the United Nations, focusing on large-scale emergencies in West Africa, Asia, and Latin America, particularly in social and behavior change advocacy. As a lecturer, executive coach, and researcher, she collaborates with universities across the Americas and Europe. Currently, she is a Senior Fellow at the School of Dental Medicine and Wharton’s Neuroscience Initiative, focusing on ProSocial AI—harnessing AI for the benefit of people and the planet. Cornelia is affiliated with MindCORE and the Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania and works with the UN on integrating ProSocial AI into the Sustainable Development Goals. Since 2021, her work has centered on AI for social good, or AI4IA. In 2017, she founded POZE in Haiti, a global network committed to inclusive social change. She also covers ProSocial AI at Forbes