Balazs Feher
Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Global Prevention Symposium: Charting the Future of Oral Health and Medicine
Date and Time
December 5, 2026
09:00AM - 05:00PM EST
Location
Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, Harvard Medical School
77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA
đź“Ł Call for abstracts
Submit your abstract by November 15 for consideration. Decisions will be announced by November 23, and accepted abstracts will be presented on December 5. Only an abstract is required. No poster PDF is needed.
Overview
The Global Prevention Symposium: Charting the Future of Oral Health and Medicine will bring together leading clinicians, researchers, educators, students, public health experts, and industry innovators to explore how prevention can transform healthcare and improve health outcomes across populations.
As healthcare systems increasingly shift from treatment to prevention, advances in early detection, precision diagnostics, artificial intelligence, and oral-systemic health are creating new opportunities to reduce disease burden and improve quality of life. Through expert presentations and interdisciplinary discussion, participants will examine emerging research, innovative technologies, and collaborative approaches that support earlier diagnosis, more effective intervention, and improved patient care.
Designed to foster collaboration across medicine, dentistry, public health, and industry, the symposium will connect leaders working to advance prevention science and translate innovation into real-world impact.
Key topics
- Cancer prevention and early detection
- Cardiometabolic disease and systemic health
- Oral-systemic health and microbiome science
- Artificial intelligence, diagnostics, and precision prevention
- Workforce development and population health
- Breaking the oral systemic barrier
Why attend
Participants will gain insights into:
- Emerging prevention science and translational research
- AI-enabled diagnostics and precision prevention strategies
- The growing connections between oral health and overall health
- Innovative approaches to workforce development and care delivery
- Collaborative models that advance population health and health equity
- Opportunities to build partnerships across academia, healthcare, industry, and public health
Keynote speakers
The symposium will feature internationally recognized leaders in medicine, public health, diagnostics, oral health, and healthcare innovation.
Dr. David R. Walt
Dr. David R. Walt is the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Bioinspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School, professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, an associate member of the Broad Institute, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor.
Walt is the scientific founder of Illumina and Quanterix and has co-founded several life sciences companies, including Ultivue, Arbor Biotechnologies, Sherlock Biosciences, Vizgen, and Protillion Biosciences. His research has advanced the fields of optical microwell arrays and single-molecule detection, leading to numerous scientific and clinical applications.
He has received many national and international honors, including the Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine and the National Academy of Engineering's Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize. Walt is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Philosophical Society, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Academy of Inventors. He is also an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
In 2025, Walt received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Joe Biden.
Dr. Rifat Atun
Dr. Rifat Atun is the dean of education and innovation at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is the Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership, professor of global health systems and director of the Health Systems Innovation Lab at Harvard University.
Atun is a faculty affiliate at the Center for International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and serves on the Harvard University Asia Center Steering Committee and Council. He is also a visiting professor at Imperial College London and a distinguished visiting professor at Fukushima University in Japan.
Before joining Harvard, Atun was professor of international health management and head of the Health Management Group at Imperial College London. From 2008 to 2012, he served on the executive management team of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, where he led strategy, performance, and evaluation and helped oversee multibillion-dollar global health investments across more than 120 countries.
Atun has advised governments, international organizations, and leading companies on health systems, innovation, strategy, and leadership. He has designed and led executive education programs and undertaken assignments for organizations including Novartis, Medtronic, GSK, AbbVie, Merck, Pfizer, Vodafone, Roche, BCG, and Kearney.
HSDM faculty
Magda Feres
Chair of the Department of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity
William V. Giannobile
Dean and A. Lee Loomis, Jr. Professor of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Catherine Hayes
Chair, Department of Oral Health Policy & Epidemiology
Associate Professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology
Hugh Silk
Lecturer on Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences
Lisa Simon
Assistant Professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology
Director of the Initiative to Integrate Oral Health and Medicine
David Wu
Head, Division of Periodontology
Program Director, Advanced Graduate Periodontology
Assistant Professor of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity
Invited speakers
Dr. Natalia Chalmers
Overjet
Dr. Natalia Chalmers is a board-certified pediatric dentist and oral health policy expert with more than 20 years of clinical, research, and regulatory experience. She served as the first chief dental officer in the Office of the Administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and was named the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s 2025 Pediatric Dentist of the Year.
Dr. Francesco D’Aiuto
Imperial College London & Healthcare NHS Trust/University of Eastern Finland
Dr. Francesco D’Aiuto is professor of periodontology, affiliated with Imperial College London & Healthcare NHS Trust, and distinguished professor at the University of Eastern Finland. His research examines links between oral inflammation and systemic health—particularly cardiovascular and metabolic diseases—and the role of periodontal therapy in chronic disease prevention and healthy aging.
Dr. Sukirth Ganesan
University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics
Dr. Sukirth Ganesan is a Centennial Research Associate Professor and director of the Advanced Education Program in Periodontics at the University of Iowa. Board-certified in periodontology and dental implant surgery, he also serves as director of clinical research. His research examines the oral microbiome, immune responses, and their relationships to oral and systemic health.
Dr. Brian Mealey
University of Texas at San Antonio School of Dentistry
Dr. Brian Mealey is a clinical professor and former graduate program director in periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. A Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, he served more than 21 years in the U.S. Air Force. His scholarship focuses on the relationships between oral and systemic health.
Dr. Mona Saraiyam
Merck Research Laboratories
Dr. Mona Saraiya is senior director of Global Medical and Scientific Affairs for HPV Vaccines at Merck & Co., Inc. Previously, she spent 28 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she led the cervical cancer portfolio and established national surveillance systems for HPV-associated cancers. Saraiya has authored more than 260 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Additional speakers and program details will be announced as they are confirmed
Symposium schedule
Program details are subject to change. Additional speakers and moderators will be announced.
Saturday, December 5, 2026
Location: The Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School
- The Joseph B. Martin Conference Center: Main sessions
- First-floor atrium: Corporate and foundation exhibitors and sponsors
- Second-floor rotunda: Poster presentations and networking
| Time | Session and Speakers |
|---|---|
7:30–8:30 a.m. | Registration and Breakfast |
8:30–8:45 a.m. | Welcome and Opening Remarks
|
8:45–9:30 a.m. | Opening Keynote Dr. David R. Walt, Harvard Medical School Evolution of Precision Diagnostics for Human Health |
9:30–10:30 a.m. | Session 1: Global Health and Public Health
|
10:30–11:00 a.m. | Break and poster session Poster presentations: second-floor rotunda |
11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | Session 2: Synergy Between Oral Health and Medicine
|
12:15–1:30 p.m. | Lunch break, posters and exhibitor session Exhibitors and sponsors: first-floor atrium Poster presentations and networking: second-floor rotunda |
1:30–2:30 p.m. | Session 3: Artificial Intelligence and Personalized Care
|
2:30–3:00 p.m. | Coffee Break and poster session Poster presentations: second-floor rotunda |
3:00–4:00 p.m. | Session 4: Reimagining the Future of Prevention—Care Models and Delivery
|
4:00–4:45 p.m. | Closing Keynote: Innovation and Care Delivery for Prevention Dr. Rifat Atun, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health |
4:45–5:00 p.m. | Closing remarks and poster awards Symposium highlights, acknowledgments, and recognition of outstanding poster presentations. |
5:00–6:00 p.m. | Networking reception |
Registration and fees
Select the registration category that best applies to you.
| Registration Category | Fee |
|---|---|
Students with a valid .edu email address | Complimentary |
Faculty and educators at HSDM or other academic institutions with a valid .edu email address | Complimentary |
General attendees | $150 |
Corporate and industry attendees | $300 |
Virtual students and faculty with a valid .edu email address | Complimentary |
Other virtual attendees | $50 |
Have questions?
About the Prevention Initiative
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine Prevention Initiative advances a prevention-first approach to oral healthcare through education, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Established through the generosity of Dr. Paul A. Levi Jr. and Patty Levi, the initiative equips current and future oral healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to prevent disease, promote early detection, and improve patient outcomes. Through distinguished lectures, educational programs, and symposiums, HSDM convenes leaders in dentistry, medicine, public health, and industry to advance prevention science and translate research into clinical practice.
Learn more about the inspiration behind the Prevention Initiative to discover how HSDM is advancing prevention through education, research, and collaboration.