Habib Mohammed Benzian DDS, MSCDPH, PhD

Dr. Benzian is a specialist oral surgeon, pathologist, and implantologist by training and has worked in several clinical settings for 13 years before becoming a public health dentist, including placements in low-income countries. Between 2002 and 2009 he worked for the FDI World Dental Federation in Geneva, Switzerland, as their first Director for Development and Public Health. He conceptualized and supported the re-positioning of the FDI as a global health player and established a broad network of contacts and collaborations with international health organizations, such as the WHO, the World Health Professionals Alliance, and others.

Dr. Benzian both coordinated and co-authored The Oral Health Atlas, a unique publication mapping the neglected state of oral health worldwide. As a recognized expert in international and dental public health, he is an honorary lecturer in public health and epidemiology at the University College London and was invited as a guest lecturer to numerous international conferences and universities. He also participated as WHO temporary adviser in expert consultations on oral health and NCDs and was among the keynote speakers at an NYU-hosted side event on the occasion of the United Nations High-level summit on Prevention and Control of NCDs in 2011.

Dr. Benzian's research interests comprise population-wide approaches to the prevention of dental caries and oral cancer, the international neglect of oral health, global public health, health policy analysis and reformulation, health promotion, dental education, inter-professional collaboration and international development, integrated school health and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Dr. Benzian also serves as Director of Fit for School International, an NGO focusing on improving school health internationally. He is founding Director of The Health Bureau Ltd - Consultants for Global Health, a consulting firm specializing in international health policy, non-communicable diseases, oral health, and school health.