The Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders (AOHAB) is proud to join the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD) at their annual conference, taking place June 5–8, 2025, at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.
This conference brings together graduates of AOHAB’s revolutionary Student Leadership in Global Oral Health Program from around the world for an inspiring and impactful weekend. It will serve as a powerful meeting of the minds—uniting medicine and dentistry—to explore how best to coordinate care around intellectual and developmental health.
The 2025 AADMD Conference theme, “Rising Phoenix: A New Era in IDD Health,” draws inspiration from the host city and reflects a collective commitment to advancing care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
We are thrilled to announce the following young professional leaders from across the globe will be attending this meeting:
- Anju James | India | Project: Knowledge and Belief of Community Health Workers on Children’s Oral Health in Kerala, India – A Cross-Sectional Study
- Aws Mahmood Abdal Faidy | Iraq | Project: Refugees and IDPs’ Oral Health Matters
- Eric Holmes | USA | Project: Adult ADHD and Dental Avoidance
- Iman Kedir Mudesir | Ethiopia | Project: Enhancing Awareness of Oral Cancer Prevention and Early Detection among Primary Healthcare Workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Jaint Kumar | Pakistan | Project: Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Caregivers of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Karachi, Pakistan – A Cross-Sectional Study
- Julien Musangu | Zambia | Project: An Insight into the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Surrounding the Development of Dental Caries Amongst School-Going Children at Mahopo Community School in Lusaka, Zambia
- May Salama | USA | Project: Prevalence and Determinants of Preventive Dental Care Among Pregnant Women in Virginia: Findings from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
- Sharon Chola | Zambia | Project: The Impact of School-Based Oral Health Education on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Primary Caregivers of Children Attending Holly Special School, Ndola, Zambia
- Titus Bisani Johnson | Nigeria | Project: Assessment of the Oral Health Care Needs of Internally Displaced Persons in Mangu Local Government Area IDP Camp, Plateau State, Nigeria
- Kirin Nagdeo | USA | Project: Speaking on Oral Health Integration within the Strategic Development Goals of the World Health Organization
- Milena Hegenauer | Germany | Project: Youth for Sustainable Oral Health: Empowering the Next Generation for a Greener, Healthier Future
- Das Hingol | India | Project: Perceptions of Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers on the Long-Term Sustainability of Oral Health Curricula in Indian Schools
- Clement Bonheur | Rwanda | Alumnus attendee without project
The impact of the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders’ involvement in the AADMD conference resonates deeply with its faculty mentors:
Dr. Margaret Wandera, AOHAB faculty mentor and lecturer from Uganda, shared: “That’s why we have this Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders—to build, to increase this network… I feel encouraged actually to be involved in this kind of activity.”
Dr. Marion Bergman added: “This program is getting stronger each year, thanks to the amazing mentor faculty [the AOHAB] have put together.”
Dr. Joseph R. Greenberg, AOHAB faculty mentor and lecturer from Philadelphia, reflected: “The AADMD meetings I have attended as part of the AOHAB group experience have been extraordinary. The warmth and camaraderie generated by our student leaders, alumni, and faculty are beyond expectations. The programming delivered by the AADMD has sparked empathy in their causes and has influenced our projects towards working with IDD patients. It has surely made our international network stronger and deeper!”
These reflections affirm the value of shared vision, cross-border mentorship, and the lasting bonds formed through collaborative leadership in global oral health.
ABOUT US
Founded in 2011, the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders’ mission is to improve global health by providing education and mentorship opportunities and fostering collaboration across geographic and cultural boundaries, with a focus on underserved communities.
Learn more at alliancefororalhealthacrossborders.org.
FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Dmytro Kolin/Shutterstock.com.
