Researchers
Dr. Ava Chow
RESEARCHER
Dr. Chow, DipDH, BSc, MSc, MEd, PhD, is a professor in Mike Petryk School of Dentistry in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.
Chow’s research program is divided into three different themes. The foundational (basic science) aspect explores the mechanisms that regulate transcellular movement by caveolin proteins as it relates to oral and systemic health. The translational component uses fundamental research to address clinical questions and this stream of research intersects with her role as an educator, as she introduces undergraduate students to the research process in these clinically relevant projects. Her primary focus, however, is on educational research, which is centered around educational technologies and student learning experience as they train to become oral health professionals.
Dr. Dan Romanyk
RESEARCHER
Dr. Romanyk, PhD, BSc, is an associate professor in mechanical engineering and an adjunct professor in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry. He completed his BSc and PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Alberta, then completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry in 2016.
His primary research interests include fundamental mechanical characterization and modeling of the response of natural dental biomaterials to applied loading, namely the periodontal ligament and cranial suture tissues; in-vitro biomechanical simulation and design of orthodontic appliances and treatment methods; and characterization of synthetic dental biomaterials such as resin-based composites and restorative ceramics (craniofacial biomechanics and biomaterials).
Dr. Khaled Altabtbaei
Periodontist
Dr. Altabtbaei, DDS, MSc, PhD, Dip. AAP, is a clinician-scientist and an oral microbial ecology researcher.
His research interests are in the oral microbiome in periodontal health and disease, and the interactions between the oral microbiome and genetics.
Dr. Maria Febbraio
RESEARCHER
Dr. Febbraio, PhD, is a professor at the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry, and also serves as the program director for the oral biology graduate division. Febbraio’s research focuses on CD36 functions in metabolism and disease using tissue-specific knockout mice, and projects related to inflammation, aggressive periodontal disease, and the impact of epigenetics in long-term risk, using periodontal and cardiovascular disease as a model.
Febbraio has published more than 100 papers and mentored students from all levels. She is funded by the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada and the National Institutes of Health (USA).
Dr. Paul Major
RESEARCHER
Dr. Major, DDS, MSc, FRCD(C), is a professor of orthodontics. He leads an orthodontic biomechanics research group, which is a collaboration between mechanical engineering and dentistry. This group investigates complex force systems associated with orthodontic treatment modalities.
Major also investigates craniofacial morphology with advanced imaging with particular focus on understanding skeletal and dental changes due to growth and orthodontic treatment.
Dr. Prasanna Neelakantan
RESEARCHER
Dr. Neelakantan, MDS, FHEA (UK), PhD, is in the role of associate professor in endodontics as well as the Alberta Dental Association & College endowed chair in oral health research.
Prasanna earned his dental degree and specialty certificate in conservative dentistry and endodontics from India in 2008, and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 2016. Prasanna held a faculty position at the University of Hong Kong where he directed a prolific research group while maintaining an active faculty practice in endodontics. He was later appointed the assistant dean for research and innovation and was the longest serving at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong. He held a cross-appointment with the Department of Biomedical engineering where he supervised/co-supervised students’ research projects. More recently, he was the director of research at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, Department of Endodontics. Beyond traditional university roles, Prasanna served as the focused learning sessions coordinator of the IADR Microbiology/Immunology group and the vice president of the San Francisco Chapter.
As an educator, Prasanna is actively engaged in the didactic and clinical education of pre-doctoral and master’s students. As head of the Comprehensive Clinic, Saveetha Dental College, India, he was responsible for directing the pre-clinical dental materials, conservative dentistry, and endodontics program. He served as the director for the second year bachelor of dental surgery program at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong. Prasanna has won numerous accolades for his exemplary teaching evidenced by the teaching awards he won in student-led and independently judged, faculty-level schemes both in India and in Hong Kong. He was awarded the Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA, UK) in 2019, demonstrating his commitment to professionalism in learning and teaching in higher education.
As a clinician-scientist, Prasanna’s trans-disciplinary research program applies innovative technology to eliminate or modulate oral infections and attune the inflammatory response to create conducive environments for tissue repair. In particular, he develops novel approaches to repress fungal virulence and prevent/treat infections in chemotherapy-induced mucosal ulcerations. His work has been well-funded by both research councils and industry. His research has culminated in 140 peer-reviewed publications with more than 50% of his papers earning a field-weighted citation impact >3 demonstrating the outstanding impact his work has on the field. As evidence of his international acclaim, he won the highly reputed and extremely competitive Innovation in Oral Care Award from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) in 2018 and 2021, one of the only two people in the history of the IADR to hold this remarkable achievement. He also won the IADR Joseph Lister award for young investigators in 2018 and the best knowledge exchange project in 2020 by the University of Hong Kong.
While at the School of Dentistry and College of Health Sciences, Prasanna’s research laboratory (The MICRO lab) will focus on discovering and developing Multifunctional Innovations for Chronic infections and Repair of Oral tissues.
Dr. Shokrollah Elahi
RESEARCHER
Dr. Elahi, M.D, M.Sc, PhD, is a professor of immunology in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.
Elahi is an internationally recognized scientist whose research spans HIV and SARS CoV-2 pathogenesis, Long COVID/ME/CFS, neonatal immunology, cancer immunology and immunotherapy, erythropoiesis, and immune regulation. His multidisciplinary research seeks to uncover the immune mechanisms that underlie disease and translate these discoveries into therapeutic strategies to control viral infections, enhance cancer immunotherapy, and protect newborns from infectious and autoimmune diseases.
Elahi joined the school in 2014. He obtained several degrees from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and his PhD in immunology from the Newcastle University in Australia.
Dr. Tarek El-Bialy
RESEARCHER
Dr. El-Bialy, BDS, MSc, LLP, PhD, EMBA, Dr. Med. Dent., is professor of orthodontics and adjunct professor in biomedical engineering with tenure at the 7-020D Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
El-Bialy gained his BDS from the Faculty of Dentistry, Tanta University, Egypt in 1987 and subsequently gained MSc degrees in orthodontics (1993, Tanta University) , law license degree (1994, Tanta University) and oral sciences (College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2000).
He completed a certificate of specialty in orthodontics and PhD in bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2001. El-Bialy is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. He joined the University of Alberta in 2005, having previously been assistant professor of orthodontics and bioengineering at King Abdulaziz University (KAAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He is the author of 170 original articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as three textbooks and 17 book chapters. He has been invited as keynote speaker in many international conferences. He also has been appointed as a distinguished adjunct professor at Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals (SIMATS), Chennai, India in 2023. He has been ranked #1 worldwide scholar in low intensity pulsed ultrasound and clear aligners as per ScholarGPS ranking.
Scholar profile and ranking | Open directory listing | telbialy@ualberta.ca
