Prof. Senthil is currently serving as the Deputy Director of the SBV Innovation Ecosystem and Head of the Department & Team Leader of Public Health Dentistry at Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences. He also holds several key positions, including President of Innovation Café, Institute Innovation Council, Project Coordinator for SBV–MGM Bio Incubator & SBV ED Cell and Honorary Secretary of the Health and Intellectual Property Rights Academy. His contributions to public health and innovation have earned widespread recognition. He received a letter of appreciation from the Prime Minister for his commitment to social responsibility. He is actively involved in shaping national oral health policies as a consultant for National Oral Health Policy Development under the Ministry of Health, Government of India. Additionally, he has been appointed as a Taskforce Member responsible for developing operational guidelines for the Basic Oral Health Package in Primary Health Care under the Ministry of Health. Dr. Senthil was honored with the Young Rural Innovator Award at the Global Indian-Young Scientist Research and Innovation Conference 2023, an event supported by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. His research and innovation portfolio is extensive, with six granted patents, five technology transfers, two commercialized products, 15 applied patents, and 21 copyrights. In the field of dental public health, Dr. Senthil has made significant contributions through 33 research publications and two pioneering dental health projects. He has played a crucial role in the development of 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for dental public health services and has served as an editorial board member for two academic journals. His academic and professional engagements include organizing over 70 dental health programs, conducting more than 1,000 dental outreach activities, guiding over 200 short-term research projects, and presenting over 20 papers, guest lectures, and interviews. Additionally, he has led seven innovations and implemented eight best practices to advance public health dentistry. Dr. Senthil has also been instrumental in establishing international collaborations, including a student exchange program between his department and the University of Iowa. Furthermore, he serves as an Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) Member for CSI Dental College, Madurai. His primary research focus lies in oral health care for individuals with special needs.

Dr. Shivashankar Kengadaran is currently working as Reader in the Department of Public Health Dentistry at Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Dentistry from the same institution, with a research focus on smokeless tobacco control. He earned his Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) in Public Health Dentistry from Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, SIMATS, Chennai, where he graduated with distinction. His Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) was completed at Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth. Dr. Shivashankar is actively involved in academia, research and institutional quality assurance. He has been instrumental in designing the curriculum and syllabus for the postgraduate programme in Public Health Dentistry at Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences. His role extends beyond teaching, as he has served as the Institutional Coordinator for the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), ensuring the continuous improvement of academic and research standards. He also holds the position of Management Representative (MR) for ISO certification, overseeing compliance with international quality benchmarks in dental education and clinical practice. His research interests encompass tobacco control, dental unit waterline contamination, epidemiology of oral diseases and innovative preventive strategies in public health dentistry. With 51 research publications in peer-reviewed journals, his work has been widely recognized, contributing significantly to evidence-based dentistry and health policy development. His publications are indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, with a citation count of 145 (H-index: 5) on Google Scholar and 71 citations (H-index: 5) on Scopus. In addition to his scholarly contributions, he holds six patents (one granted) and eleven copyrights, reflecting his commitment to innovation in dental research. Dr. Shivashankar is also deeply engaged in professional training and skill development. He has completed several certification courses in data analytics, Python for data science, R programming and AI applications in healthcare, enhancing his expertise in statistical modeling and research methodologies. His technical proficiency extends to SPSS, EpiInfo, Excel, JASP and Cognos, making him adept at data-driven decision-making in public health research. As a public health practitioner, he has led numerous community outreach programmes and tobacco control initiatives, promoting preventive dentistry at the grassroots level.  Dr. Shivashankar’s research aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Recognized for his contributions to research and innovation, Dr. Shivashankar has received multiple awards, including the Best Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Award (2019), Best Innovator Award (2022), Best Researcher Award (2021), and a Cash Prize for publishing the highest number of research articles at Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (2021). He has delivered guest lectures at National and regional conferences.

Dr. Priyanga Chandrasekaran is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Dentistry. She completed her Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery at Mahe Institute of Dental Sciences, Mahe and pursued her Master’s in Public Health Dentistry at Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Pondicherry. Her researches are focused on the antimicrobial properties of herbal formulations and their efficacy as mouthwashes, leading to a published patent on the same formulation. She has undertaken various certified courses in Epidemiology, Research Methodologies and Biostatistics. Additionally, she completed an internship at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, where she specialized in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Priyanga played an active role during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to Tele-triaging services for over 1,000 casualties as part of the COVID War Room activity. She also has research publications in high quality-indexed journals. Currently she is also guiding various UG and PG research projects. Beyond research, she is actively involved in academic and institutional development as a member of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) Task Force and the Dental Education Unit. She continuously enhances her knowledge by attending various online and offline Continuing Dental Education programmes and Faculty Development Programmes.

Dr. Anusha Divvi is currently working as Reader in the Department of Public Health Dentistry at Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences. She has a distinguished academic background, having completed her Ph.D. in Dentistry from the same institution. She earned her Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) in Public Health Dentistry from Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, where she was awarded a gold medal for academic excellence. Her Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) was completed at Dr’s Sudha and Nageswara Rao Siddhartha Institute of Dental Sciences, Vijayawada. Dr. Anusha is actively engaged in teaching, research and community outreach. Her research contributions span multiple domains within public health dentistry, including oral health-related quality of life, epidemiology, dental care for special needs populations and behavioral interventions for tobacco cessation. She has an extensive publication record, with 44 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, including leading dental and public health journals. She has also made significant contributions to intellectual property, holding three patents (one granted) and nine registered copyrights. In addition to her research, Dr. Anusha has been actively involved in professional service, serving as a peer reviewer for several National and International journals. She has received numerous accolades, including the Best Paper Award at national conferences, the Budding Entrepreneur Award from Saveetha Dental College and a Cash Prize from Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth for publishing a high volume of research articles in indexed journals. She has delivered guest lectures at National and Regional conferences, sharing her expertise on topics related to public health dentistry and special needs oral care. Dr. Anusha Divvi’s research publications make significant contributions to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, addressing critical aspects of public health dentistry, preventive care and health equity.

Dr. Priyadharshini is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Dentistry. She completed both her Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery and Master’s in Public Health Dentistry at Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Pondicherry. She has undertaken various certified courses in Research Methodology, Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Additionally, she completed an internship at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, where she specialized in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Priyadharshini played an active role during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to Tele-triaging services as part of the COVID War Room activity. Her researches focus on oral health care for visually challenged children and she has research publications in high quality indexed journals. She also holds three registered copyrights with the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), India. Currently, she is also guiding various UG and PG research projects. Beyond research, she is actively involved in academic and institutional development. She is a member of the Scientific Academic Forum (SAF) and the Clinical Society Meeting (CSM) committee. She also engages in Continuing Dental Education and Faculty Development Programmes to enhance her expertise.