Najith Amarasena

Dr Najith Amarasena serves as a Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH) within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide. A dental professional by training, he contributes across multiple research units including the Dental Practice Education Research Unit (DPERU), Dental Statistics and Research Unit (DSRU), Indigenous Oral Health Unit (IOHU), and Health Services Research Unit (HSRU).

His research focuses on the epidemiology of periodontal disease with particular emphasis on the relationship between systemic health and periodontal conditions, micronutrient impacts, tobacco use effects, dentine hypersensitivity, dental caries patterns, and child oral health. His work with Indigenous populations explores connections between oral health and social-emotional wellbeing among Indigenous Australians. He has also contributed to significant national projects including the Child Dental Health Survey of Australia and fluoride reference value assessments for Australia and New Zealand.

Dr Amarasena has supervised Master's students and doctoral candidates while mentoring numerous postgraduate researchers to successful completion. His collaborative work extends internationally through partnerships with Niigata University in Japan and consultancy projects with the Primary Health Care Corporation in Qatar regarding water fluoridation assessment. He has developed educational materials and assessment tools for dental professionals through the DPERU's Continuous Professional Development program.