President
Dr. Amrinderbir Singh, BDS, MPH
Dr. Amrinderbir Singh is an Assistant Professor, Dental Public Health and Director of Inclusive Community Outreach at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Dentistry. He joined USask after working for four years in Northern Saskatchewan in different capacities as Director of Primary Health Care with Saskatchewan Health Authority and Regional Inter-sectoral Coordinator with Northern Human Services Partnership. Dr. Singh completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Sri Guru Ramdas Institute of Dental Sciences and Research in India and practiced as a dentist before completing his Master of Public Health from USask in 2015. With extensive experience working with Northern Saskatchewan communities, Dr. Singh’s role at USask is to explore opportunities for innovation to extend service and care to priority populations outside of cities. This includes overseeing the six outreach clinics that the College of Dentistry is currently operating across Northern Saskatchewan, as well as establishing relationships and working with different communities and contributors to continue to expand this network of dental clinics that provide care to priority populations across the province. Dr. Singh has spent his career developing and executing a comprehensive, integrated and community based holistic health model. His research interests include Canadian Indigenous oral health, access to oral healthcare services in Canada, spirituality and health, oral health and nutrition, patient and family-centered care, and holistic approaches to oral health.
Secretary
Ms. Denise Kokaram, MA, RDH
Denise Kokaram is a University of Alberta dental hygiene graduate who passionately advocates for oral health both in clinical practice and public health. A lifelong learner, she also holds a Master of Arts in Leadership with a health specialization from Royal Roads University. Her focus has been on population health, particularly oral health access and equity, with a keen interest in systems innovation and health policy. Denise is the Chief Operating Officer of Nation’s Dental, an innovative approach to delivering affordable, and accessible comprehensive oral healthcare for priority populations utilizing a social entrepreneurial model. She pioneered The Alex Dental Health Bus program and served as the Oral Health Manager for the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia. Serving in a variety of leadership roles on numerous boards and committees focused on health, oral health, regulation, and advocacy, has been both humbling and enriching. These experiences have provided a wealth of knowledge that supports her current mission. Recently, her work with Calgarians for Kids’ Health, a grassroots endeavor by a group of concerned citizens, culminated in successful advocacy for the return of community water fluoridation to Calgary’s drinking water. Denise loves spending time with her family, fur baby Zorro, and friends. She is an avid adventure traveler who enjoys exploring the world, experiencing other cultures, and communing with nature.
Director
Dr. Abiola Adeniyi, BChD, MA, PhD
Dr. Abiola Adeniyi received her undergraduate dental education in Nigeria. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Dentistry, with a focus on integrated care and interprofessional collaborative care strategies for oral health. She is a researcher, educator, and dental public health professional who specializes in maternal and child oral health, integrated oral health, and interprofessional oral health collaboration. She is a member of several national and international collaborative networks in maternal and child oral health, COVID-19 in dental practice, oral health access, and policy research. She was the first Postdoctoral Fellow in Global Maternal and Child Health at UBC Vancouver’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a tenure track Assistant Professor in Global health and human services at the Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is a current member of the Canadian Association for Dental Public Health’s Board of Directors and served on the Policy Advisory Committee.
Director
Dr. Abdulrahman Ghoneim, BDS, RDH, MSc., FRCD (C)
Dr. Abdulrahman Ghoneim is a dentist, registered dental hygienist, and dental public health specialist. He is a PhD candidate in the Discipline of Dental Public Health at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. He has over six years of research experience in dental public health and has presented his work at numerous national and international conferences. His master’s research investigated the impact of non-clinical factors, specifically the competition between dental clinics, on the clinical decision-making of dentists in Ontario. His PhD is focused on estimating the return on investment of providing dental services to individuals who experience financial barriers to care. He strives to translate his research into evidence demonstrating the economic benefits of reducing oral health inequalities in Canada.
Director
Dr. Abbas Jessani, DDS, MSc, PhD
Dr. Jessani is an assistant professor and coordinator for Operative Dentistry at the College of Dentistry, University of Saskatchewan. After finishing his DDS from the University of Karachi in 2011, Dr. Jessani joined UBC Dentistry for an MSc and Ph.D. while focusing on access to dental care for the marginalized population such as vulnerable pregnant women and HIV-infected individuals. His diverse teaching experience includes community outreach, problem-based learning, and clinical teaching. During his time at UBC, Dr. Jessani won several awards for clinical teaching excellence as well as academic scholarships for his outstanding research skills. Presently, he is leading projects that aims to identify the unmet dental treatment needs and barriers to access to dental care in marginalized populations in Saskatchewan. When not working, Dr. Jessani likes to travel and volunteer his time in the community.
Director
Dr. Anil Menon, BDS, MBA, MSc., FRSPH, FRCD(C)
Dr. Anil Menon is a Division Head of Dental Public Health and an Assistant Professor at the Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba. He is actively involved in teaching and researching Dental Public Health at the University. Dr. Menon earned his MSc in Dental Public Health from the University of Toronto in 2018 and also holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration from the United States. He has gained valuable experience in his field, having worked for two years with the Children’s Oral Health Project in Nunavut as a Program Evaluation Specialist and Acting Dental Manager. He later served as the Regional Dental Manager at a First Nations Reserve in Moose Factory, Ontario. Dr. Menon also managed the Oral Health Division at Hastings Prince Edward County Public Health Unit in Ontario before taking up his current position. His research focus is on seniors, including those living in personal care homes, as well as other vulnerable populations such as Indigenous children.
Director
Dr. Sanjukta Mohanta B.Sc., D.D.S
Dr. Sanjukta “Sanj” Mohanta is a general dentist practicing in Toronto and Mississauga. She graduated from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry in 1999 and received the Alumni of Influence award. She started the New Dentist Study Club and hosts their podcast. Sanj is a writer, speaker, mentor, advocate and volunteer. She received the Ontario Dental Association’s (ODA) Merit Award and Service Award. Sanj provides dental care to remote Indigenous communities with the ODA’s Remote Areas Program and provides free dental care in the Caribbean with Great Shape! 1000 Smiles.
Director
Ashley White, DA, SDT, RRDH, BSc
Ashley White’s professional journey in the field of dentistry spans almost 30 years, starting as a dental assistant. Her dedication and passion for public health dentistry have driven her to attain advanced education and diverse experiences in the field. After completing studies in both the dental therapy and dental hygiene programs, Ashley pursued a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration, and most recently completed the Global Health Diplomacy Program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at University of Toronto.
Throughout her career, Ashley has demonstrated a profound understanding of core competencies in dental public health, social determinants of health, community engagement, and health promotion, particularly in First Nations and Inuit communities. Her work experience is diverse, encompassing positions in both the public and private sectors, and across various levels of government. This includes roles in Switzerland, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Africa, the Canadian Arctic, Saskatchewan, and her current location in the national capital region, Ottawa, Ontario.
Ashley is currently employed by Indigenous Services Canada, a department within the Government of Canada as the National Oral Health Promotion Officer for First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. As well, since 2008, Ashley has served as a Senior Dental Health Educator, maintaining a casual employment status with the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
Additional to her professional responsibilities, Ashley is serving her second term on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry. She also volunteers her time once a month seeing clients at the Ottawa Mission Dental Clinic.
Director
Cyerra Powder
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