Professor Manogari Chetty is a board-certified Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologist and currently heads the Department of Craniofacial Biology, Pathology, and Radiology at the University of the Western Cape. She delivered the first Dentistry Faculty Inaugural Lecture on 12 November 2024.
The Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Professor Veerasamy Yengopal, said: “Having been introduced to the world of human genetics in 2012, several research projects within the field of genetics and molecular dentistry were initiated by Prof Chetty and her team. This is a branch of dentistry that focuses on inherited genetic variations which may manifest as rare syndromes with accompanying dental diseases and disorders.”
In her lecture, Prof Chetty highlighted the importance of nurturing the advancement of dentist-scientists in Africa. These individuals are well positioned to initiate and drive research informed by patient conditions and translate these findings into improved clinical practice, which consequently addressed the region's distinct oral healthcare needs.
Prof Chetty said: “For us to be able to do the kind of research in the genetics and genomics arena, we, as clinicians, need to upskill to the level of clinician scientists or dentist scientists in order to engage in research which bridges the gap between laboratory science and clinical practice.”
She emphasised that translational clinical research needs to be embedded into the undergraduate dental curriculum at universities across Africa to ignite the students’ interest in research in order to perpetuate the practice of evidence-based dentistry.
