Hanako Suenaga

Dr. Hanako Suenaga is a Lecturer in Restorative and Reconstructive Dentistry at the University of Sydney's School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health. She maintains clinical specialist registrations in Australia (AHPRA) and Japan while leading interdisciplinary research initiatives. As a member of the Charles Perkins Centre, she coordinates courses across Bachelor of Oral Health, Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Doctor of Medicine (MD), and Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (DClinDent) programs, including leadership in DMD curriculum development.

Her research focuses on two primary domains: Perioperative Dentistry examines oral-systemic health connections in surgical patients, investigating how oral microbiome influences postoperative complications and developing preoperative dental protocols to improve outcomes. Bone Mechanobiology explores jawbone responses to dental prosthetics through biomechanical modeling and advanced imaging (NaF-PET), analyzing pressure distribution and metabolic reactions to mechanical loading.

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on dental biomechanics (45%), prosthetic design (30%), and surgical-dental integration (25%), with recent work emphasizing perioperative care innovations. Current work includes a 2025 RACDS-funded project investigating oral microbiome links to surgical outcomes.

Dr. Suenaga leads an international multidisciplinary team at Westmead Hospital collaborating with oral microbiologists, engineers, and clinical researchers. Her laboratory employs finite element analysis, PET/CT imaging, and in vivo pressure measurement systems to advance translational dental care.