Abbas Jessani

Abbas Jessani, DDS, MSc, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Restorative Dentistry within Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario. He also holds cross-appointments in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and is affiliated with research clusters focused on Behavioral and Environmental Risk Factors, Global Health, and Mental Health and Addiction. Dr. Jessani serves as the coordinator for community dental outreach and course director for preclinical operative dentistry.

Education:

• DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery)
• MSc in Public Health Dentistry, University of British Columbia
• PhD in Public Health Dentistry, University of British Columbia

Dr. Jessani’s research focuses on barriers to healthcare access and oral health disparities in marginalized communities, including people living with HIV/HCV, LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous populations, refugees, and pregnant women. His work examines the stigma and discrimination faced by these groups and integrates community-based participatory research methods to address systemic inequities. Globally, he investigates oral health access in low-income African countries like Uganda and Southern Africa.

His recent publications highlight trends in LGBTQ+ oral health, pregnancy-related dental care, and barriers in underserved populations. He advocates for service-learning programs to train socially-conscious dentists and has contributed to Canada’s first national oral health research strategy.