Project Partners and Team
The Happy Teeth Project brings together people with different experiences and areas of expertise.
Our team includes people with lived experience of intellectual disability, researchers, health professionals, disability professionals and other specialists.
The project is led by Western Sydney University.
The University coordinates the research and works with project partners to plan, deliver and evaluate the different phases of the study.
Our research team
Primary research team
Professor Nathan Wilson — Western Sydney University
Chief Investigator (Lead)
Professor Ajesh George — Western Sydney University
Chief Investigator, Dentist
Dr Sam Arnold — Western Sydney University
Chief Investigator, Psychologist
Kylie Scott — Western Sydney University
Chief Investigator with lived experience, Artist, Public Speaker and Advocate
Dr Archana Pradhan — University of Sydney
Chief Investigator, Special Needs Dentist
Professor Linda Slack-Smith — University of Western Australia
Chief Investigator, Epidemiologist
Associate Professor Leonie Short — Seniors Dental Care Australia
Chief Investigator, Dental Therapist
Dr Phuong (Pam) Nguyen — Deakin University
Chief Investigator, Health Economist
Associate Professor Joanne Watson — Deakin University
Chief Investigator, Speech Pathologist
Professor Hanny Calache — La Trobe University
Chief Investigator, Dentist and Educator
Associate Professor Caoimhin Mac Giolla Phadraig — Trinity College Dublin
Chief Investigator, Dentist
Dr Inès Phlypo — Ghent University
Chief Investigator, Dentist
Dr Gisselle Gallego — The University of Notre Dame Australia
Chief Investigator, Clinical Pharmacist
Dr Lily Michael — Western Sydney University
Research Project Manager, Public Health Researcher
Associate investigators
Dr Amy Villarosa — Australian National University
Oral Health and Statistics Expertise
Natalia Uthurralt — NSW Health, Ministry of Health NSW
Centre for Oral Health Strategy
Dr Padma Gadiyar — Smilo.AI
Founder and CEO, Dentist
Lucy Dowling-Brown — Aruma
Coordinator – Policy and Clinical Governance, Disability Service Provider
Amanda Coleman-Watson — Greystanes Disability Services
CEO, Disability Service Provider
Racheal Neal — Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation (NADO)
Quality Assurance and Compliance Manager, Disability Service Provider
Benjamin Chain — Northcott
Senior Manager, Disability Service Provider
Carmen Izurieta — North West Disability Services (NWDS)
CEO, Disability Service Provider
Kristy Engisch — Sylvanvale
Clinical Project Manager, Disability Service Provider
Partner organisations and contributors
Joe Wickert — Summer Hill Media
Media Partner
Dr Katrina Byrne — Trinity College Dublin
MOSST Researcher, Nurse
Disability service partners
The project is being carried out in partnership with:
- Aruma
- Greystanes Disability Services
- Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation (NADO)
- Northcott
- North West Disability Services (NWDS)
- Sylvanvale
Our disability service partners help us connect with people who may be interested in taking part. They also help us understand how oral health support works in everyday disability services.
Together, our partners and team are working towards better oral health support for people with intellectual disability.