Faculty Leadership

Dean

Anil Kishen, B.D.S., M.D.S., Ph.D.

Professor Anil Kishen currently serves as the Dean at the Faculty of Dentistry. He has also served as the Associate Dean, Graduate Education.

A Professor of Endodontics, Dr. Kishen’s research focuses on microbe-host tissue interactions and nanoparticle-guided tissue engineering. He has received several teaching awards and honours including W. W. Wood Award (2016) for excellence in dental education from Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD), the prestigious 2020 Louis I. Grossman Award from the American Association of Endodontists for cumulative publication of significant research studies that have made an extraordinary contribution to endodontology, and the 2023 National Dental Research Award from the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR) and the ACFD for exceptional contributions to dental research in a Canadian University. Kishen has supervised more than 100 trainees, including fifteen PhD and more than 25 MSc students. Dr. Kishen has published widely, edited books and is a co-inventor in several patents.  
 

View Dr. Kishen’s academic profile here.

Interim Vice-Dean, Education

Laura Tam, D.D.S., M.Sc.

Dr. Laura Tam oversees the educational mission of both the graduate and undergraduate programs at the Faculty of Dentistry. 

Professor Tam has served as Interim Dean; Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education; Director of the Comprehensive Care Program; and the Course Coordinator for the Third Year Comprehensive Care Program and Third Year Restorative Dentistry Courses at the Faculty of Dentistry.

Professor of Restorative Dentistry in the Department of Clinical Sciences, Professor Tam has conducted clinical and laboratory research on a variety of topics in dental materials published in journals such as Operative Dentistry and the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry. Her research in restorative dentistry explores vital tooth bleaching and dental restorative materials.  

In 2015, Professor Tam received the W.W. Wood Award for Excellence in Dental Education from the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry for the University of Toronto.  

View Dr. Tam's academic profile here.
 

Vice-Dean, Research

Morris F. Manolson, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.

Morris F. Manolson is a Professor and Interim Vice-Dean, Research at the Faculty of Dentistry. He is cross-appointed at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and is currently serving as President of the Canadian Connective Tissue Society. His research, focusing on preventing excessive bone loss associated with osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis and periodontal disease, is funded by CIHR and NSERC, has produced three patent applications and over 70 peer-reviewed papers which have accumulated over 5000 citations. He received the "Quality of Life” award from the Institute for Muscularskeletal Health and Arthritis, and the Canadian Institute of Health Research-Institute for Gender Health/Ontario Women's Health Council Senior Investigator Award, both in recognition of his work towards preserving bone health in arthritis and osteoporosis.  

View Dr. Manolson’s academic profile here.

Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education

Anuradha Prakki, D.D.S., M.Sc., Ph.D

Working closely with the Vice-Dean, Education, Interim Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education, Dr. Prakki oversees the DDS and IDAPP programs.

Among teaching roles, Dr. Prakki acted as treatment plan coordinator and restorative clinical instructor at the University of Toronto clinics. She is the course co-director for Dental Anatomy and Occlusion, and director for Restorative Dentistry I Didactic and Restorative Dentistry I Pre-Clinical courses. Dr. Prakki has received The Dr. A. Bruce Hord Master Teacher Award (2012-2013), The W. W. Wood Award (2017) for excellence in dental education, and the Dentsply Sirona Global Clinical Case Contest – national winner award as a tutor (2018). Her research investigates mechanisms of dentin degradation. She also develops longer-lasting restorative materials, and evaluates their performance and interaction with surrounding tissues. Dr. Prakki has published over 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of Operative Dentistry and Biomaterials.

View Dr. Prakki's academic profile here.

Interim Associate Dean, Graduation Education

Laurent Bozec, B.Sc, Ph.D

Dr. Laurent Bozec is Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education and a Full Professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. He also serves as Vice-Chair of the Academic Board and Dean’s Designate to the School of Graduate Studies. He leads the Matrix Functionalization & Phenotyping Lab (MFP-Lab), internationally recognized for its pioneering work in collagen nanomechanics, tissue engineering, and nanoscale diagnostics. Dr. Bozec is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Network for Canadian Oral Health Research.

With a primary appointment in Dentistry and cross-appointments in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Information, Dr. Bozec’s interdisciplinary research bridges nanotechnology, oral health, biomedical engineering, and cultural heritage preservation. He has authored over 140 peer-reviewed publications and secured more than $59 million in research funding.

A passionate mentor and educator, Dr. Bozec has supervised over 110 trainees, including 5 postdoctoral fellows, 37 doctoral students, 55 MSc students, and 13 undergraduates, across the UK and Canada. Many of his graduates now hold academic and clinical leadership positions worldwide. He is a strong advocate for inclusive, equitable training environments and has developed a mandate on HQP training that emphasizes fairness and opportunity. Dr. Bozec also maintains a sustained portfolio of industrial collaborations, particularly in the field of oral health innovation.
 

View Dr. Bozec's academic profile here.
 

Chief Administrative Officer

Arleen Morrin, MEd, PhD (Higher Education), CHRL

Prior to joining the Faculty of Dentistry, Dr. Morrin held numerous leadership positions across University of Toronto, including Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.

As the CAO, she is responsible for the overall business administration of the Faculty, including budget, finance, human resources, information technology and building operations and services. Dr. Morrin is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and holds a MEd and PhD in Higher Education from University of Toronto’s, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).

Visit Arleen Morrin's staff profile. 

Director of Clinical Affairs

James Posluns, B.Sc., D.D.S., D. Ortho, M.Ed., F.R.C.D.(C)

From safety to Access to Care funding for patients, Dr. Posluns oversees the operation of each of the Faculty’s 14 clinics (294 chairs) and its staff. As well as being an expert in clinical matters, Dr. Posluns is a practicing orthodontist.

View Dr. Posluns’ academic profile here.

Director of Advancement

Selina Esteves

Selina oversees the alumni relations and fundraising program at the Faculty, and focuses on philanthropic giving, sponsorship and the student, alumni and donor experience.

Visit Selina Esteves's staff profile. 

Director, Continuing Dental Education

Chris Swayze, MBA, D.D.S, HBSc

With an extensive background in dental regulation and professional development, Dr. Swayze oversees the Continuing Dental Education program at the Faculty of Dentistry. As well as being an expert in continuing education, Dr. Swayze is also an expert in infection prevention and control and involved in the development of national standards and guidelines.

View Dr. Swayze’s academic profile here.