Axel Spahr

Professor Axel Spahr is the Acting Head of the Discipline of Restorative and Reconstructive Dentistry and Head of Periodontics at the Sydney Dental Hospital, University of Sydney. Previously, he served as Head of Periodontics at the University of Ulm, Germany, and has held roles at international institutions. He holds a part-time clinical practice specializing in periodontics and dental implants in Sydney.

• Affiliations: Sydney Dental School, University of Sydney Nano Institute
• Education: Advanced training in microbiology, molecular biology, and clinical research

Research Interests:

• Bio-regeneration of oral tissues
• Periodontal regeneration and peri-implantitis
• Systemic disease interactions (e.g., periodontitis-diabetes, periodontitis-coronary heart disease)
• Biomaterials for bone repair
• Photodynamic therapy and antimicrobial treatments

Key Projects:

• Evaluation of Azithromycin efficacy in peri-implantitis
• Investigation of periodontal regeneration using enamel matrix proteins
• Association between periodontitis and systemic diseases (diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Development of novel hydrogel scaffolds for bone regeneration

Awards:

• Walther Engel Award (2009) for dental research and education
• Education Prize of the University of Ulm (2000)

Grants & Collaborations:

• International partnerships with institutions in Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the Czech Republic
• Funding from Australian Dental Research Foundation, Straumann Group, and others

Labs & Teams: Leads the Oral Biomedicine and Regenerative Dentistry research group, focusing on interdisciplinary solutions for oral health challenges.