Executive Committee

AAOM's Executive Committee is made up of its elected officers and two most recent past presidents. The Executive Committee takes charge of the general decision-making necessary to run the programs of the Academy on a day-to-day basis. The E.C. is responsible for implementing the Academy's strategic plan and for executing the will of the Board of Trustees.

Dr. Jaisri Thoppay, President 

Dr. Thoppay is a highly accomplished professional with a diverse range of expertise in the field of healthcare consulting, and Oral Health. She currently holds the position of President at the Center for Integrative Oral Health Inc, where she focuses on promoting integrative approaches to oral health. Dr. Thoppay maintains a private practice that focuses on Oral Medicine, Orofacial pain management, and the care of medically complex patients. Dr. Thoppay obtained her dental degree and MBA from India, demonstrating her commitment to both clinical and business aspects of healthcare. She furthered her education by completing a Master of Oral Biology at Augusta University in Augusta, GA. To specialize in her field, she pursued an Oral Medicine residency and an Interdisciplinary Geriatric fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Thoppay also expanded her knowledge through an Interprofessional Geriatric Fellowship at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. From 2015 to 2019, Dr. Thoppay served as a faculty member and the Director of Oral Medicine, Orofacial Pain, and Geriatric clinic at the School of Dentistry at the Virginia Commonwealth University. During this time, she actively contributed to the field through her clinical work, research projects, and educational initiatives. Apart from her academic and clinical pursuits, her dedication to oral health extends beyond her practice, as she volunteers for oral medicine clinical outreach, advocates for oral diseases and oral cancer awareness, and actively participates in patient focus groups both online and in-person. She had served for Oral Medicine Section as Associate Editor of OOOO journal (Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology Oral Radiology).

Additionally, she serves as the President at Nenotics LLC, a healthcare and business consulting firm. Dr. Thoppay's expertise also extends to healthcare executive consultation services. She provides program management consultation to integrate clinical domain knowledge with program management skillsets. Her areas of expertise include New Product Introduction and Design, Project and Workflow Analytics, Operations and Process Management in the healthcare industry, and Clinical Application knowledge in Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, Systems, and Business Process Re-engineering. Additionally, she possesses knowledge and experience in machine learning, AI applications, and big data analytic tools, further contributing to the advancement of healthcare practices. Overall, Dr. Thoppay's extensive experience, commitment to patient care, and dedication to advancing the field of oral health make her a highly respected professional in the healthcare industry.

Dr. Sunday Akintoye, President-Elect

Dr. Akintoye is a clinician-scientist with interest in basic and translational research related to alleviating orofacial complications of cancer therapy. His research is focused on orofacial bone mesenchymal stem cells, site-specific characteristics and therapeutic applications as donor graft to bridge osseous defects in the maxillofacial region. His laboratory reported that human orofacial mesenchymal stem cells within the jaw bone are unique and different from those in non-oral skeletal sites in terms of their growth, lifespan, and bone regenerative properties. He is studying the modulatory roles of orofacial bone mesenchymal stem cells in the pathogenesis of jaw osteonecrosis and how their unique properties can be harnessed for oral bone healing.

Dr. Akintoye is also interested in dental manifestations of metabolic bone diseases. He has focused on fibrous dysplasia and described the dental features of maxillo-mandibular fibrous dysplasia associated with McCune-Albright syndrome. Dr. Akintoye’s research has received funding support from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and National Institute of Aging. He has also been funded by American Cancer Society, University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation, Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Private Foundations. Dr. Akintoye’s research was featured in the 2014 “Grantee Spotlight” of the National Cancer Institute/Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities and in the December 2015 e-Newsletter of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research/National Institutes of Health. Dr. Akintoye teaches in the Oral Medicine Clinic and in the graduate programs of the Division of Advanced Dental Education. He was a Fulbright Scholar to University of Lagos in 2015/2016.

Dr. Alessandro Villa, Vice President

Dr. Villa is the chief of the Sol Silverman Oral Medicine Clinic at UCSF and the Director of Oral Oncology. Dr. Villa obtained his dental degree and PhD from Italy and his Master of Public Health from AT Still University, MO. He then completed his oral medicine residency training at Harvard University/Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Villa's research interests include the pathobiology of oral complications from cancer treatment therapeutic strategies for oral leukoplakia. In addition, Dr. Villa is working to reduce the burden of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers. He serves on the editorial board of several oral medicine journals, including Oral Diseases.

Dr. Arwa Farag, Treasurer

Dr. Arwa Farag is an Assistant Professor and a Consultant of Oral Medicine, Orofacial Pain, and Dental Sleep Medicine at the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah Saudi Arabia (FDKAU). She is also an assistant professor at the Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TSDM), Boston, MA, USADr. Farag graduated from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She completed her residency training in oral medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and earned her Doctor of Medical Science Degree (DMSc) from Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She also completed her fellowship in TMD/orofacial pain at TUSDM. Dr. Farag is a Diplomat of the American Board of Oral Medicine, a Diplomat of the American Board of Orofacial Pain, and a Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeon of Edinburgh. Dr. Farag is an active member and participants of the American Academy of Oral Medicine, the European Association of Oral Medicine, the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, the American Association of Dental Research, and the International Association of Dental Research. She is currently serving as a chair for the Scientific Sessions Committee of the American Academy of Oral Medicine and a steering member of the World Workshop on Oral Medicine. She is an active reviewer in a number of high impact dental journals including Oral Diseases, BMJ, Quad O, and JADA .Dr. Farag continues to support scholars with research interest in the detection and management of dry mouth/Sjogren syndrome, burning mouth syndrome, as well as investigating potentially inappropriate medications in geriatric population. Her clinical interest focuses on management of oral manifestation of systemic diseases, oral complication of cancer therapy, and treatment of chronic orofacial pain conditions.

Dr. Juan Bugueno, Assistant Treasurer

Dr. Bugueno, a dedicated oral and maxillofacial surgeon, initially trained in Chile before pursuing advanced studies in the United States. With a focus on maxillofacial trauma, he honed his skills at the University of Florida before providing dental care in El Paso, Texas. His journey led him to the University of Pennsylvania for further specialization in oral medicine and geriatrics, where he also cultivated his research expertise. Dr. Bugueno's academic career flourished as he joined various institutions, including the University of Tennessee and West Virginia University, where he established clinics for cancer patients and contributed significantly to interprofessional education and diversity initiatives. A recognized leader in his field, he serves on multiple committees and editorial boards, exemplifying excellence in academia and patient care. 

Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, DDS, PhD, FRCDS (Ed), Assistant Secretary

Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, DDS, PhD, FDS, RCDS(Ed) is Professor and Dean of the Indiana University School of Dentistry. She is the tenth Dean and the first woman to lead the School and has recently returned to the role after serving as Interim Executive Vice President of Indiana University and Chancellor of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis in 2023-2024.  Dr. Murdoch-Kinch is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral Medicine, a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and an alumna of the Drexel University Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program.   Throughout her academic career she has taught oral medicine and radiology to students and residents in dentistry and medicine, conducted multidisciplinary clinical research in oral oncology and dental education, and treated patients in hospital-based interprofessional, collaborative dermatology and oral medicine clinics. Her editorial and publication experience includes service on the editorial board of the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association, as a peer reviewer and author for several journals including JADA, “Triple O’, and the Journal of Dental Education, and a term as Associate Editor for JADA. She is a past President of the American Board of Oral Medicine, past Commissioner of the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, and a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. Dr. Murdoch-Kinch received her DDS from Dalhousie University in Canada, and advanced dental specialty education and PhD from Indiana University. Dean Murdoch-Kinch has received numerous awards for her teaching, service, and leadership activities, including the Dalhousie Faculty of Dentistry Outstanding Alumni Award (2018), the University of Michigan Center for Interprofessional Education’s Distinguished Leadership Award (2019), The Indiana University Bicentennial Medal (2020), and the Indiana University-Purdue University Women’s History Month Recognition Award (2022).  

Dr. Vidya Sankar, Past-President 2023-2024 

Dr. Sankar is an associate professor, division director for Oral Medicine, and program director for the Oral Medicine residency at Tufts School of Dental Medicine. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral Medicine. She received her DMD from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, earned her Certificate in Oral Medicine from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), Bethesda, Maryland, received her Master’s in Health Science degree from Duke University and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Her clinical and research interests are in the field of salivary gland dysfunction, Sjogren’s disease, oral manifestations of systemic disease, and management of oral mucosal diseases and oral complications of cancer therapy. Dr. Sankar is an Associate Editor in the Oral Medicine Section of the OOOO journal, Treasurer of the Sjogren’s Foundation.