Dugoni School of Dentistry Departments and Chairs

Dr. Homayon Asadi is Chair and Professor of the Biomedical Sciences Department, Course Director, and a faculty member at the Biomedical Sciences Department at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry since 1990. He is also a past chair of the Institutional Review Board at the University of the Pacific. He has been in private practice concurrently for the past 34 years, and is a 1988 graduate and alumni of the Dugoni School of Dentistry and an active member of the Dugoni School community.  

Dr. Asadi lectures extensively on a variety of professionally relevant continuing education courses at the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, Oregon Dental Association, as well as the University of the Pacific's Continuing Dental Education Department. 

Dr. Asadi is a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Honor society, and a Fellow of the American College of Dentist, the International College of Dentist, and Pierre Fauchard Academy. He serves on the Advanced Dental Aptitude Test (ADAT), Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), Test Construction Committee (TCC) of the American Dental Association, and a Site Visitor for the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

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

Dr. Gupta started teaching at the Dugoni School in 2007. She served as director of Communication and Calibration in the Department of Integrated Reconstructive Dental Sciences and as a group practice leader in the Department of Clinical Oral Healthcare. She cofounded Pacmanual, the clinic guidebook at the Dugoni School, and currently serves as its faculty advisor. She is the recipient of several teaching awards and is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Dr. Gupta served as chair of the Academic Council at the University of the Pacific in the 2022-23 academic year. She was named chair of the Department of Clinical Oral Healthcare in June 2023. 

Professor at the Dugoni School and the director of the school's Special Care Clinic/Hospital Dentistry Program, Subar teaches three core courses in the curriculum and a variety of weekly seminar programs. He specializes in access to oral health for patients with special needs, including those with severe medical, developmental and/or psychosocial conditions. Subar's clinical responsibilities include delivery of dental services to patients requiring hospital dentistry as well as responding to consultation requests from the transplant and medicine services at California Pacific Medical Center. He has served on several key school committees including the Admissions committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Faculty Appointments and Tenure Committee, and is the chair of the Extramural Programs Committee.

A graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz with baccalaureate degrees in both biochemistry and molecular biology, Subar earned his DDS from the University of California Los Angeles and completed his hospital training at the UCLA Medical Center. In 2009 he received his Doctorate in Education and Professional Leadership from University of the Pacific's Benerd School of Education. Subar's background includes serving as a dental director of a Federally Qualified Health Center and as a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service.

Subar received the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Faculty Award three years in a row and was the first award recipient of the California Dental Association's annual Arthur A. Dugoni Faculty Award. In 2010, Subar was elected to the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society.

Dr. Azim is the chair of the Endodontic Department at University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, and he maintains a private endodontics practice. He is also the founder and CEO of Endolit.

Dr. Azim earned his BDS from Cairo University, where he also did his endodontic training. He later completed his endodontic certificate at Columbia University, and since then, he has been a full-time educator and a part-time private practitioner. Before joining the University of the Pacific, he served as the division head and director of the Endodontic Post-Graduate Program at University at Buffalo.

Dr. Azim is a diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics. He has lectured all over the world and has been awarded several times for his research work. He has over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals and several textbook chapters such including Ingle Endodontics and Endodontics: Principles and Practices. He is a member of the scientific advisory board of the Journal of Endodontics, associate editor for the European Journal of Endodontics, and a reviewer for multiple other endodontic journals such as the International Endodontic Journal, Journal of Dental Traumatology and JADA. 

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.

Dr. Oh earned her DDS degree, Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry and PhD in Oral Biology from Chonnam National University, School of Dentistry in Gwang-Ju, Korea. In 2001, she was awarded a certificate in Advanced Education in General Dentistry from University of the Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and also completed her MSD in Orthodontics from the Dugoni School in 2005.

Also in 2005, Dr. Oh joined the Dugoni School as a faculty member. She has served as program director of the Graduate Orthodontics Program since 2010 and director of the Craniofacial Research Instrumentation Laboratory since 2017. In partnership with Dr. Gabby Thodas, Dr. Oh served as interim co-chair of the Department of Orthodontics starting in 2017 and became the chair in 2019. 

Dr. Oh's research interests focus on longitudinal craniofacial growth study and orthodontic clinical outcome studies involving various treatment approaches that are compared to untreated subjects. She is the Director of Craniofacial Research Instrumentation Laboratory and her research has earned her multiple awards from the American Association of Orthodontists and American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (AAOF).

Dr. Oh has successfully conducted multiple funded projects. Currently she is a co-principal investigator of R-01 grant developing facial growth predictions for various facial types supported by the NIH/NIDCR. Dr. Oh heads the Steering Committee of the AAOF Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection's Curators Group.

Dr. Oh is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics since 2007; She serves as a reviewer for several journals in orthodontics and dental research.

• Craniofacial Research Instrumentation Laboratory (CRIL)
• AAOF Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection 

Dr. Kavitha Parthasarathy, BDS, MS, Diplomate, American Board of Periodontology, is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Periodontics at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific.

Dr. Parthasarathy earned her BDS from Bangalore University, followed by a Master of Science in Oral Sciences and a Certificate in Periodontics from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Before joining the Dugoni School, Dr. Parthasarathy held faculty and leadership positions at the University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston, where she served as Director of Predoctoral Periodontics. She was recognized for her contributions to dental education by the American Academy of Periodontology, receiving the Educator award in both 2009 and 2019.

Her research focuses on oral-systemic health, microbial influences on periodontal disease and peri-implant disease. These projects have been funded by NIH/NIDCR, the Osseointegration Foundation, and the Deans Academy at UT Houston. Dr. Parthasarathy has authored peer-reviewed publications and presented at regional and national meetings. She has also served on multiple postgraduate thesis and supervisory committees, mentoring residents and students.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, Dr. Parthasarathy maintains a private periodontal practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her professional focus continues to center on excellence in education, evidence-based care, and advancing the field of periodontology through scholarship and mentorship.

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 the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. As Chair, she oversees the work of the Pacific Center for Innovation and Translation. She also holds the prestigious Henry Sutro Family Endowed Chair in Restorative Dentistry. 

Before her current role, 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. She focused on predoctoral and specialty prosthodontics and, in 2013, became the founding director of the Oral Clinical Research Unit, which has secured over $7 million in funding since its inception.

Dr. Rinku S. Saini serves as Chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. A clinician, educator, and public health advocate, Dr. Saini brings over 15 years of private practice experience and an academic background spanning Columbia University, the University of California San Francisco and the Dugoni School of Dentistry. His professional journey reflects a deep commitment to advancing pediatric oral health through education, clinical excellence, and health equity.

Dr. Saini earned a dual degree from Columbia University, completing both his Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) at the College of Dental Medicine and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) in Health Policy and Management at the Mailman School of Public Health. He also holds a Master of Science (M.S.) in Cell and Molecular Biology and a Certificate in Public Health from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine.

Following a General Practice Residency at the UCLA Sepulveda VA, Dr. Saini completed a Pediatric Dentistry Residency at Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) in Washington, DC. There, he completed LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) training, which continues to reinforce his commitment to neurodiversity-informed care.

At the Dugoni School, Dr. Saini is leading the strategic transformation of the Pediatric Dentistry Department into a national model for inclusive, multidisciplinary care, particularly for the most vulnerable children. His vision centers on integrating core LEND principles into both the didactic and clinical curriculum, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, family-centered care, and systems-level advocacy. Through a unique partnership with the UC Davis MIND Institute, he is advancing faculty development, enriching student education and expanding access to care for children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as those with complex medical histories.

Dr. Saini’s academic and teaching interests focus on providing safe and dignified care for children with special health care needs.

Dr. Saini is a current fellow of both the International College of Dentists (ICD) and the American College of Dentists (ACD). He remains actively engaged in organized dentistry through his involvement with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), California Society of Pediatric Dentistry (CSPD), Special Care Dentistry Association (SCDA), American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD).

In addition to his academic roles, Dr. Saini maintains an active private practice at Drs. Schmitt & Saini, Pediatric Dentistry in Danville, California. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Pelin, their son, Ari, and their dog, Rex.