Associate Professor Andrew Heggie, Director of MRUFD (Clinical)

Andrew is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who heads the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery section within the Department of Plastic & Maxillofacial Surgery at the Royal Children's Hospital, and also practices privately. He founded the MRUFD together with orthodontist colleague, Paul Schneider, in 1999. Andrew is primarily responsible for the bone research theme of MRUFD, and maintains an active interest in paediatric maxillofacial surgery, clinically related research and teaching ( read more about Andrew).

Professor Mike Hubbard, Director of MRUFD (Research)

Mike is a biochemist who originally trained as a dentist. He has held the first MRUFD Professorial Fellowship in Oral and Facial Sciences since 2003, hosted by the University of Melbourne's Department of Paediatrics. Besides overseeing translation of basic research, he maintains primary responsibility for the dental research theme of MRUFD, co-directs The D3 Group, spear-heads ongoing development of Proteomics & Metabolomics Victoria and heads a research lab ( read more about Mike).

Dr Jocelyn Shand, Deputy Director of MRUFD (Clinical)

Jocelyn is a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the Royal Children's Hospital with strong clinical and research interests in paediatric maxillofacial surgery, particularly involving the correction of upper airway obstruction in infants with diminutive jaws. She also practices privately and contributes to several professional bodies at executive level, currently focussing on professional training and specialist registration issues ( read more about Jocelyn).

Jon Mangum, Deputy Director of MRUFD (Research)

Jon is a biochemist/molecular biologist who has held the first MRUFD Research Fellowship since 2003. Hosted by the University of Melbourne's Department of Pharmacology, Jon manages the Hubbard lab, plays a lead role developing MRUFD collaborative investigations, assists MRUFD colleagues with their experiments, and undertakes research at basic, translational and clinically applied levels. He is also in the throes of completing a PhD ( read more about Jon).

Dr Garry Nervo, MRUFD Development Manager

Dr Peter Farlie, Group Leader, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

Peter is a developmental biologist with degrees in biochemistry and neurobiology. His research aims to clarify the causes of craniofacial birth defects, particularly through improved understanding of skeletal development. He also oversees a variety of bone-related research projects in his role as Deputy Research Director, Department of Plastic & Maxillofacial Surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Read more about Peter.

Associate Professor Paul Schneider, Head of Orthodontics, Melbourne Dental School

Paul is an orthodontist with additional training in paediatric dentistry. He operates a private orthodontics practice and, having helped train orthodontists at Melbourne Dental School for many years, was ideally placed to take over as Head of Orthodontics in 2011. Since co-founding the MRUFD in 1999, Paul has helped establish our dental defect (D3) and biomarker research projects, which now are becoming increasingly embedded within postgraduate training.  Read more about Paul.

Professor David Manton, Head of Child Dental Health, Melbourne Dental School

David is a paediatric dentist with broad experience in dental research (PhD), academia and private practice. His education and research responsibilities at Melbourne Dental School span paediatric dentistry, orthodontics and special-needs dentistry. David has been a key supporter of MRUFD's dental defect theme and helped establish The D3 Group, which he co-directs. Read more about David.

Professor Mike Morgan, Head of Population Oral Health, Melbourne Dental School

Mike is a paediatric dentist with additional training in epidemiology and public health (PhD). Besides his numerous responsibilities at Melbourne Dental School (Deputy Head, research, education), Mike serves as an advisor on several professional and governmental groups. Mike has been a key supporter of The D3 Group, helping guide development of the population health tier. Read more about Mike.

Associate Professor Joseph Palamara, Head of Biophysics, Melbourne Dental School

Joseph is a physicist with vast experience in dental research. At Melbourne Dental School he orchestrates many projects investigating the physical properties of teeth, bone and dental materials. As such, Joseph helps several D3G/MRUFD teams and is a foundation contributor to The D3 Group. Read more about Joseph.

Associate Professor Roger Hall, Honorary Researcher, Hubbard Lab, University of Melbourne

Roger is a retired paediatric dentist who is well known as the first Head of Dentistry at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne and as principal author of a leading textbook on paediatric dentistry. Building on his past clinical interests and research experience in dental defects, Roger is actively involved in D3-related investigations in the Hubbard lab (co-authorships forthcoming) as well as helping The D3 Group with its educational mission. Read more about Roger.

Associate Professor Kerrod Hallett, Head of Dentistry, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

Kerrod is a paediatric hospital dentist with additional training in public health. His research interests include childhood caries and clinical trials of dental products. Kerrod is helping MRUFD develop its caries and biomarker research, and supporting The D3 Group with cases and specimens. Read more about Kerrod.

Emeritus Professor Louise Brearley Messer, AM, Past Head of Child Dental Health, Melbourne Dental School

Dr Felicity Crombie, Lecturer, Melbourne Dental School

Felicity is a general dentist whom, having completed a PhD in 2011 (studying Molar Hypomin), now graces the hallowed halls of academia as lecturer and researcher. With an impressive string of publications and invited lectures behind her, Felicity remains actively involved in several D3 projects. She has contributed to The D3 Group since its inception and still finds a little time for private dental practice. Read more about Felicity.

Dr Ed Lobaza, Specialist in Periodontics, Central Melbourne

Ed is a periodontist who spends most of the working week at his specialist private practice in central Melbourne. On his half-day off, Ed helps out at the Hubbard and Palamara labs, working on a D3 project (co-authorship forthcoming). "Why play golf when you can get to use your brain in the lab?" asks Ed. Indeed, and the lab workers love hearing Ed's stories about life at the clinical coalface. Read more about Ed.

Dr Loch Ramalingam, Consultant Paediatric Dentist, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

Loch is a paediatric hospital dentist who both treats children and helps train the next generation of "kids dentists". Loch's strong awareness of the Molar Hypomin problem has led her to support The D3 Group with cases and specimens. Of late she has taken on a co-supervisory role with D3 research based at the Royal Children's Hospital. Read more about Loch.

Dr Margarita Silva, Specialist Paediatric Dentist, Eastern Melbourne

Margarita is a paediatric dentist with a particular passion for the Molar Hypomin problem. In addition to private practice, she is also actively involved in training dental students and paediatric dentists, and teaches at Community Dental Health centres in the country. Margarita has actively supported a variety of D3 research projects with cases and specimens, leading to co-authorship of two papers about Molar Hypomin (and more on the way). Unsurprisingly she is also a foundation member of The D3 Group.

Dr Karen Kan, Specialist Paediatric Dentist, Eastern Melbourne

Karen is another paediatric dentist in private practice with a strong desire to help those with Molar Hypomin. Karen is a foundation member of The D3 Group and continues to support several D3 projects with specimens and clinical data (co-authorships forthcoming). Through her lectures and teaching, Karen also plays an important role in publicising the Molar Hypomin problem to the profession and beyond.

Adjunct Professor Hanny Calache, Director of Clinical Leadership, Education and Research, Dental Health Services Victoria

Hanny is a paediatric dentist with additional training in public health (doctorate) and health administration. He has broad experience in private and public practice, education and training. In 2010 and 2011 he received awards for his numerous contributions at Dental Health Services Victoria. Hanny has been a key supporter of The D3 Group, helping promote better awareness of D3 problems at government and community levels. Read more about Hanny.

Associate Professor Chris Olsen, Head of Specialist Paediatric Dentistry, Dental Health Services Victoria

Chris is a paediatric dentist responsible for specialist care delivery to children at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. He has helped train paediatric dentists for over 20 years. Through his experience in private and hospital settings, Chris is well versed in how broadly the Molar Hypomin problem impacts communities. Having supported the The D3 Group since its early days, Chris is now increasingly involved in D3 research projects.