AI in Oral Health Care Symposium

Interim Dean of the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, Elisa M. Chávez, DDS is a tenured professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and the director of the Pacific Center for Equity in Oral Health Care. She graduated from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry and earned her certificate in geriatric dentistry from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Chávez has practiced in private, community health, long-term care and hospital settings. She has authored several papers and book chapters and lectured with a focus on the implications of oral health and aging on clinical care and access to care for older adults. She is currently on the California Dental Association Foundation Board. As a member of the Santa Fe Group, she has been an advocate for the oral health needs of older adults and for whole-person care nationwide.

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Dr. Jonas Bianchi is a dual-trained orthodontist, having completed his orthodontic residency at University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, as well as a Master’s and PhD in Orthodontics at São Paulo State University (UNESP). He later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan, strengthening his expertise in artificial intelligence, advanced imaging, and computational orthodontics.

As director of research for the Orthodontics Program, Dr. Bianchi leads cutting-edge investigations that integrate data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced 3D imaging from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to digital dental models to enhance diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient-specific outcomes.

Dr. Bianchi is widely published, with more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and 3D imaging applications in orthodontics. His research includes the development and validation of predictive machine-learning models for orthodontic and orthognathic decision-making, automated phenotype detection using CBCT and digital models, statistical shape analysis, deep-learning algorithms for craniofacial measurements, and AI-enhanced diagnostic workflows. His recent work also explores emerging applications of generative AI in dental education, digital treatment planning, and the use of automated informatics pipelines to support precision orthodontics.

In clinical teaching and practice, Dr. Bianchi emphasizes evidence-based protocols and trains residents across a comprehensive range of treatment modalities including segmented mechanics, aligner therapy, straight-wire techniques, temporary anchorage devices (TADs), 3D-printed appliances, and orthopedic interventions while integrating digital workflows and AI-driven tools throughout the treatment process.

Through the synergy of his research and teaching, Dr. Bianchi aims to shape the future of orthodontics, preparing clinicians to practice in a data-driven, personalized, and technologically advanced era of dental care.

Dr. Bianchi has been recognized by the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (AAOF) with multiple research awards supporting his work in advanced imaging, AI-driven diagnostics, and orthodontic outcomes. He also serves as a key collaborator on NIH R01–funded research focused on temporomandibular joint degenerative joint disease (TMJ-DJD), contributing expertise in 3D imaging, AI, and computational modeling to improve understanding, phenotype characterization, and early detection of joint degeneration.

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Dr. Meixun Sinky Zheng is the Director of Educational Innovation and Assessment at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, where she leads initiatives in learning design and technology, faculty teaching and scholarship development, and oversees the collection, analysis, and reporting of educational outcome data. She also serves as Professor of Learning Sciences in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences. Beyond her role at the dental school, Dr. Zheng teaches program evaluation in the university’s Counseling and School Psychology program.

With 16 years of experience teaching in-person and online courses, Dr. Zheng’s research focuses on online and digital learning, educational data science, and faculty development. She has published 30 peer-reviewed articles in dental education, medical education, and educational technology journals, and delivered over 50 presentations at national conferences such as AERA (American Educational Research Association), ADEA (American Dental Education Association), and AECT (Association of Educational Communications and Technology).

Dr. Zheng holds a PhD in Education from North Carolina State University, specializing in learning science and design, as well as a Master of Applied Data Science degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

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Dr.Shika Gupta graduated with a DDS degree from the International Dental Studies program at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in 2007. Prior to this, she earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from Goa Dental College and Hospital in Goa, India, and her Master of Dental Science degree from the University of Malaya.

Dr.Gupta began teaching at the Dugoni School in 2007. She served as Director of Communication and Calibration in the Department of Integrated Reconstructive Dental Sciences, where she introduced a new calibration system for clinical faculty and co-founded the digital clinical guidebook Pacmanual. She later served as a Group Practice Leader in the Department of Clinical Oral Health Care and was appointed Chairperson of the Department of Clinical Oral Health Care in 2023. Additionally, she served as Chairperson of the University of the Pacific’s Academic Council during the 2022-23 academic year.

Her scholarly work focuses on dental aerosols, materials and methods, and educational methodologies. Dr.Gupta is the recipient of several teaching awards and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, the American College of Dentists, and the International College of Dentists. She also serves on the board of the Dugoni School’s Alumni Association.

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David K. Lam, MD, DDS, PhD, FRCDC serves as chair and Dr. T. Galt and Lee DeHaven Atwood Endowed Professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Lam specializes in the comprehensive surgical management of patients with cancer, pathology, and trigeminal nerve injury. His research and clinical programs are closely integrated, and his research addresses the challenges he faces in the clinical management of oral and maxillofacial surgery patients. He obtained his DDS with Honors from the University of Toronto and subsequently obtained a PhD in the Collaborative Program in Neuroscience and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Specialty Certificate from the same institution. He earned his MD from the University of California, Davis and completed a Postdoctoral Neuroscience Research Fellowship, as well as a Surgical Fellowship in Maxillofacial Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and a Fellow (OMFS) in the Royal College of Dentists in Canada. His funded research focuses on the diagnosis and management of pathology, nerve injury, and pain. In addition to funding on research, education and training grants, Lam has published and presented internationally, nationally and locally on a variety of topics relevant to his research and clinical interests.

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Dr. Hussein Al-Wakeel is an assistant professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. He serves as the content coordinator of implant dentistry and digital technology, as well as the co-director of the ITI Scholar Center, in addition to directing multiple implant and prosthodontic courses.

Dr. Al-Wakeel has a strong professional interest in digital technology in the dental field and leads multiple digital innovation projects at the school—initiatives that are helping position the University of the Pacific at the forefront of digital advancement among dental schools in the United States.

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Dr. Rebecca Moazzez, BDS, MSc, PhD, FDSRCS, FDSRCS (Rest.), MRD, FICD, FPFA, is a professor and chair of the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry at University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Additionally, she oversees the work of the Center for Innovation and Translation and holds the Henry Sutro Family Endowed Chair in Restorative Dentistry.

Before joining the Dugoni School, Dr. Moazzez was a professor of prosthodontics and oral clinical research at King’s College London School of Dentistry, where she began teaching in 1998. In 2013, she became the founding director of the Oral Clinical Research Unit, which has secured over $7 million in funding since its inception, supporting and advancing clinical research programs.

At the dental school, Dr. Moazzez provides strategic leadership for the Center for Innovation and Translation, a hub that connects faculty, clinicians, students, and industry partners to accelerate research, pilot new technologies, and translate evidence into real-world clinical practice. Under her leadership, the Center has expanded Dugoni’s innovation and research portfolio by supporting a growing set of industry collaborations and investigator-initiated studies, strengthening clinical research infrastructure, and advancing applied work at the intersection of oral health, digital health, and AI.

Her research and clinical interests are closely aligned, with a focus on erosive tooth wear, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the role of saliva in oral and systemic health, and the oral microbiome’s influence on oral diseases. She has supervised 10 PhD and numerous master’s research projects and has authored more than 66 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters. To date, she has secured $7.8 million in research grants from commercial and non-commercial organizations supporting laboratory, clinical, and translational research.

Dr. Moazzez is an international leader in her field and is actively involved in raising awareness of erosive tooth wear through the Erosive Tooth Wear Foundation. She is committed to advancing clinical and translational research to improve oral health globally, including the responsible use of innovation, technology, and AI to enhance outcomes.

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Dr. Eric Walk is Chief Medical Officer at PathAI in Boston, MA. He is head of the Medical group, overseeing Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, and Clinical Affairs. Eric has over 20 years of experience in precision medicine, oncology drug development and IVD companion diagnostics development. Prior to joining PathAI, he was Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Roche Tissue Diagnostics/Ventana Medical Systems, where he led Medical & Scientific Affairs, overseeing the development and FDA clearance/approval of over 20 510k and PMA IVD assays, companion diagnostics and digital pathology algorithms. Eric began his industry career at Novartis Oncology, where he held positions in Early Clinical Development and Translational Medicine, working to implement biomarker and precision medicine strategies for early and late stage targeted oncology therapeutics. Eric is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Johns Hopkins University and holds a MD degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and is a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists (CAP). He currently is a member of the CAP Personalized Healthcare Committee.

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DDr. Amreesh Khanna, DDS is the founder & CEO of OraQ, an AI clinical software system that integrates clinical data into a unified intelligence layer, delivering actionable risk insights to support optimal treatment planning and precision patient care. As a dentist‐operator with 18+ years experience chairside in complex care and dental implant surgery, as well as a multi-practice owner, he has built and run multiple dental businesses, an education company (ADEPT) and a nonprofit (Cause to Smile)—turning vision into operating reality. Deeply networked across North America, he understands the industry’s structure and market trends across solo, group and DSO practices. He has an appointment at the University of Alberta School of Dentistry, where he is involved in research and innovation in AI & machine learning in dentistry, and is a noted speaker on AI in dentistry. Visit dramreesh.com and oraq.ai to learn more!

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Dr. Laurah Turner is the Associate Dean for Artificial Intelligence and Educational Informatics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. As a nationally recognized leader in educational research and innovation, her work focuses on applying artificial intelligence to enhance medical training, personalize learning, and improve assessment. She is the founding director of 2-Sigma.AI, where she leads the development of an ecosystem of AI-powered tools.

Dr. Turner helps shape national and international policy through her contributions to the AAMC’s guidelines for responsible AI and invited memberships on the International Advisory Committee on AI and the American Board of Internal Medicine's Innovation Board. Her research has garnered numerous awards for innovation. It is supported by significant external funding from organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).

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With 20+ years of experience as a hospital executive and emergency room physician, Dr. Bhimani cofounded Hippocratic AI in 2023. Prior to that he served at COO at El Camino Health. Dr. Bhimani also held various roles at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, CA, including hospital executive. He was also president of Emergency Physicians Associates. Dr. Bhimani is board certified in emergency medicine and was a physician at Kaiser Permanente Greater Southern Alameda County, Washington Hospital and St. Louise Regional Hospital. He has a master's in health administration from Cornell University. He completed his residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and MD at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

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Dr. Ethan Goh, executive director of Stanford ARISE and senior research engineer at Stanford Medicine, is a healthcare executive and physician scientist with a background in clinical AI research, product development, and go to market strategy. At Stanford, he leads multi-institutional efforts to evaluate and implement Large Language Model applications within healthcare, with publications in Nature Medicine and JAMA Network. His research is supported by the Macy Foundation and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, and has been covered in the New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN.

He also serves as program director of the Stanford Healthcare AI Leadership and Strategy Program and faculty director of Harvard Medical School’s Generative AI and Agentic Systems course.

Dr. Goh is a founding editorial board member and associate editor at BMJ Digital Health & AI, and an external reviewer for multi-year research grants. He further contributes as a keynote speaker and co-chair at academic and industry conferences, such as HIMSS, the Stanford AIMI Symposium and AMIA.

As a strategic advisor, he has collaborated with Google, OpenAI, Roche and Samsung to develop, validate, and scale AI-driven healthcare solutions. He also serves on the advisory board of startups, and consults for MasterClass.

Prior to academia, Dr. Goh practiced internal medicine and founded a digital health Q&A startup that provided expert medical answers to millions of users. He later served in formal roles within the NHS and the Ministry of Health, where he helped shape national health policy and regulatory frameworks.

Dr Goh holds a medical degree from Imperial College London, and a Masters in Clinical Informatics and Management from Stanford University.

Dr. Kemp completed both his DDS program and Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology residency at UCLA. During residency, Dr. Kemp completed over 2,300 radiology reports for general dentists and a variety of specialists. Specializing in reading and interpreting CBCT, he is also proficient with MDCT, MRI, and traditional 2D radiographs. Dr. Kemp has particular interest in jaw lesions, TMJ pathology and endodontic evaluations; his research interests include MRONJ, diagnostic AI, and structured reporting. As a resident he became interested in AI and the ways that it can increase student and patient education, as well as serve as a diagnostic aid for clinicians. Seeing AI as a valuable resource, he has since completed the Imaging AI Advanced Certificate from the Radiologic Society of North America as a way to deepen his understanding.

Aditya Sharma is a senior engineering leader at Stanford Medicine, where he spearheads data science initiatives across the health system, translating clinical needs into scalable AI solutions. He leads an interdisciplinary team of ML engineers, MLOps and data and full-stack developers to design, prototype and launch products that improve patient outcomes and operational performance. His current scope includes leading the delivery of ChatEHR and Stanford’s Data Science Platform. He has previously shaped AI platforms at Northwestern Medicine, Oak Street Health and other healthcare organizations. He is mission driven and passionate about aiding in patient care.

As a frontier leader and dental artificial intelligence expert, Dr. Mina Ghorbanifarajzadeh works at Overjet, one of the top five software companies as listed by Dental Products Report. Serving as senior clinical manager for Overjet she helps shape the industry standards for what we can expect of AI today and where we can expect it to go in the future. With a background in technology, health care and world-class service, she is energized by the growing technologies that will not only improve patient dental care but overall healthcare as well. Dr. Ghorbanifarajzadeh is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Dentistry and was the recipient of the Oral Maxillofacial Radiology Award. She currently serves as an ADA Wellness Ambassador and is co-chair of the FDA Wellness Committee.

Influenced from a young age by her father’s belief in women as responsible leaders, Mini Suri was encouraged to pursue high achievement and impactful leadership. She is the co-founder and CEO of VELMENI, a tech health startup pioneering AI-driven predictive dental care to improve provider businesses, patient outcomes, and societal health. Suri brings extensive experience driving technological innovation across global enterprises, having worked alongside accomplished IT leaders. Her career includes serving as chief customer success officer at Kore AI, Uber’s Center of Excellence lead for intelligent automation, and senior vice president at Citi, where she led large-scale automation and AI initiatives. She serves on the advisory board of LUFTCAR and the board of TiE Silicon Valley, supporting global tech entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and young women. Throughout her career, she has been deeply committed to women’s initiatives, youth engagement, STEM education, and causes such as The Hunger Project, with active involvement in FIRST Robotics and leadership programs for women.

Dr. Harpreet Mangat, MD (Neurosurgery), MBA is the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff at Hippocratic AI. He earned his MBA at Stanford School of Business, and prior to his current role, was a venture capitalist with Volcano Capital Management. He also worked as a consultant for McKinsey. His medical background includes his time as a neurosurgeon in the UK’s National Health Service, where he gained significant experience in trauma, perioperative care and brain tumors. Dr. Mangat completed a fellowship in neurotrauma on the biochemical markers of brain injury. He was also an intensive care doctor with Royal Free Hospital, National Infectious Disease Unit at the height of COVID.