Current Positions

- Professor with Tenure, Department of Preventive Dental Science, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty
of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
- Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
- Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health
Sciences, University of Manitoba
- Provincial Medical Representative, Pediatric Dentistry, Shared Health Inc.
- Site Medical Director, Pediatric Dental Surgery, Health Sciences Centre
- Section Head, Pediatric Dentistry, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA)
- Acting Director, Centre for Community Oral Health, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, University of Manitoba
- Research Scientist Member, the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM,)
- Staff Dentist, Centre for Community Oral Health, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, University of Manitoba
- Staff Dentist, Mount Carmel Clinic, Dental Department
- Active Staff Member, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority - Oral Health Program, Department of Surgery, Section of General Dentistry; HSC Consultation Privileges

Education

2003 - 2010
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Manitoba, Department of Community Health Sciences (Dr. M Moffatt, Supervisor), Faculty of Medicine

2003 - 2007
Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program (CIHR STIHR Program) Funded Doctoral Trainee Core Curriculum Certificate of Achievement (2005)

2000 - 2003
Master of Science, University of Manitoba, Department of Community Health Sciences (Dr. M Moffatt, Supervisor), Faculty of Medicine

1992 - 1996
Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Dentistry

1991 - 1992
Pre-Dental Education, Faculty of Science, University of Winnipeg

Research Focus

As a dentist clinician-scientist, I have established a community-based research program with a primary theme on early childhood caries (ECC) and early childhood oral health, based at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), on the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne campus. There are four sub-themes to my research program: 1) the relationship between early childhood oral health, vitamin D, nutrition, and well-being; 2) the epidemiology of ECC, including the oral microbiome; 3) promotion of early childhood oral health, prevention and management of ECC, and the evaluation of early childhood oral health promotion programs; and 4) access to care and health services research looking at rates of pediatric dental surgery to treat ECC.

Research Interests

- Caries resistance mechanisms in high-risk Indigenous children
- Evaluation of the Interim Canada Dental Benefit (CDB)
- Oral microbiome and caries risk in young First Nations and Metis children in Manitoba
- Working together to implement novel, culturally informed early childhood oral health interventions for First Nations and
Metis children in Manitoba
- Feasibility and acceptability of using Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) to arrest Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in young children