The Executive

I.O.F.O.S. Board – years 2023/2026

Prof. Cristiana Palmela Pereira, DMD, MSc, PhD, President

University of Lisbon
Faculty of Dental Medicine
Chair of Forensic Dentistry
Portugal
president@iofos.eu

Prof. Cristiana Palmela Pereira was born in Mozambique 1971 and raised in Portugal since 1975. In 2000 she graduated from the Faculty of Dental Medicine University of Lisbon. She obtained her MSc degree in Forensic Sciences and Legal Medicine in 2005, and her PhD degree in Forensic Sciences and Legal Medicine in 2010, from the Faculty of Medicine University of Lisbon. In 2007, between her MSc degree and PhD degree, she attended the Faculty of Medicine in University of Coimbra, graduating with a postgraduation in Bodily damage assessment. She obtained the Tenure position in the University in 2020 in Forensic and Legal Dentistry.

Ever since 2000 she has been working at the Faculty of Dental Medicine. She started at Biomaterials Department until 2010. Subsequent she started to be the Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Dental Morphology, until present. In 2022 she was nominated Chair of the Forensic Dentistry, until present.

Simultaneous, she was serving the Portuguese National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences since 2004 and 2021 as a forensic expert in the field of Forensic Dentistry. Ever since 2005 she has been Forensic Odontologist in the national DVI team, nowadays named EML-DVI RR. She is Portuguese Delegate in the Forensic Odontology INTERPOL DVI Working Group.

In 2020 she was inviting to integrate the Scientific Committee from the National Portuguese Dental Association (OMD, Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas), and in 2022 she was nominated the Head of the Executive Committee of the forensic experts of the OMD and ever since 2022 she has been forensic expert of OMD to the courts.

Additionally, she is Delegate of ISO/TC 106 Dentistry SC3 on Terminology and of ISO/TC 272 Forensic Sciences, and Vice-Chair of the American Standardization Board (ASB) on Forensic Odontology Consensus Body, and Affiliation of the NIST OSAC Forensic Odontology Subcommittee.

She has been teaching forensic dentistry in the graduate and postgraduate courses. Until today she has been managing several national and international scientific projects. She has actively participated at numerous international conferences, and she had published national and international peer-reviewed papers, several national and international book chapters, and a textbook in the field of Forensic Dentistry. She has been invited as editorial board members of several journals and she has been invited as Ad Hoc Review of several other journals. She regularly gives lectures as an Invited Professor from other universities than the University of Lisbon and invited talks in conferences and training workshops to graduate students, colleagues, and professionals. Prof. Cristiana Palmela Pereira was awarded with national and international awards, such as the IOFOS highest award, the Ferdinand STRÖM.  She also received number of national and international research grants.

Prof. Ricardo Henrique Alves da Silva DDS, MSc, PhD – Vice-President, Brazil

Phone: +55 16 33158738

Ricardo Henrique Alves da Silva was born in Bauru (São Paulo State, Brazil), in 1980. In 2002 he finished his dental studies (DDS) at USP – Bauru Dental School. He specializes in Forensic Dentistry, and completed his Master’s at USP – Bauru Dental School in 2005 and Ph.D. at USP – São Paulo Dental School in 2007, both related to Forensic Odontology. Ever since 2003, he has been working in different fields in Forensic Odontology related to teaching, dental malpractice litigance expert witness, human identification, and professional guidance related to legal and ethical aspects of Dentistry. He has been the professor in charge of the Forensic Odontology Division at USP – School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto since 2008 and has been teaching at the undergraduate and graduate (MSc and Ph.D.) programs, including the coordination of the Forensic Odontology Specialization Program, as well as performs forensic odontological expertise. His major research topics are related to human identification, forensic anthropology, dental age estimation, and lawsuits in Dentistry (professional liability). He has actively participated in numerous Brazilian and international conferences and he has published more than 200 scientific papers, books, and book chapters, being among the most important researcher in the field all over the world. Among other activities related to Forensic Odontology, he is the Editor-in-Chief of the Brazilian Journal of Forensic Odontology, and since 2013 is the Brazilian Representative in the Forensic Odontology INTERPOL DVI Sub-Working Group. Past President (2012-2024) and Vice-President (2022-2024) of the Brazilian Association of Forensic Odontology. Secretary of IOFOS for two terms (2017-2020 and 2020-2023).

Prof. Hrvoje Brkic DMD,MSc, PhD, Treasurer– Croatia

University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine
Department of Dental Anthropology
Chair of Forensic Dentistry
Gunduliceva 5, HR-10000 Zagreb

Hrvoje Brkic was born in Zagreb in 1963. In 1988 he graduated from the School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb. Ever since 1989 he has been working at the Department of Dental Anthropology. He has been teaching dental morphology and courses in Forensic dentistry in the graduate and post graduate studies. Until today he has been managing several national and international scientific projects as well as two projects financed by the EU. He has been developing Forensic Dentistry at the University of Zagreb since 1996, and in the same year the Croatian Association included it in IOFOS. Since 2003 he has been the Vice Dean, and since 2012 he has been Dean of the School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb. He has actively participated in numerous international conferences and he has published more than 150 scientific and professional publications, books and book chapters.

In 2012 he was awarded the Republic of Croatia National Science Award, and in 2022 he won the “Andrija Štampar” award for scientific and professional contribution in the field of biomedical sciences. Hrvoje Brkic is also a member of several international editorial boards and since 2006, he has been the editor in chief of the journal Acta stomatologica Croatica. He is married and the father of three children.

Prof. Marin Vodanovic DMD,MSc, PhD, secretary-general, Croatia

University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine
Department of Dental Anthropology
Chair of Forensic Dentistry – Zagreb

Marin Vodanovic, born in Germany in 1975, studied dentistry at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia, and received his dental degree in 1999. In 2005, he earned a Master of Science degree and in 2008 his PhD. He specialised in endodontics and dental pathology and completed his studies at University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia, in 2010. In 2015, he became the Vice Dean at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb. In 2022, he was elected Visiting Professor at the Medical University of Lublin in Poland. In 2023, he was elected Full Professor at the University of Zagreb. He is the author or co-author of over 250 publications, including several books, textbooks, dictionaries and book chapters. According to Web of Science, he has over 700 citations, and his h-index is 16 (August 2023). His research interests include paleodontology, forensic dentistry, dental morphology and anthropology, endodontics, occupational diseases, dental terminology, and the application of artificial intelligence in dentistry.  He is editor-in-chief of the Bulletin of the International Association for Paleodontology and web editor of Acta stomatologica Croatica. In 2015, he was a guest editor of the Annals of Anatomy – Anatomischer Anzeiger. He is the founder and president of the International Association of Paleodontology, secretary of the Croatian Association of Forensic Stomatologists, secretary-general of the International Organisation of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology (IOFOS), member of the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences, Croatian Endodontic Association, Croatian Dental Society, Croatian Medical Association, Croatian Catholic Medical Society and Croatian Dental Association. 2006, he was awarded the National Science Prize of the Republic of Croatia. For more information, please visit http://www.marinvodanovic.com.

Prof. Vilma Pinchi, JFOS Editor – Italy

Prof. Pinchi completed her dental studies at University of Perugia cum laude and attained PhD in Medical Forensic Sciences cum laude and Specialty Course in Orthodontics at University of Brescia. She is full professor of Legal Medicine at University of Florence and lecturer in several degree Courses of Dental and Medical Schools, specialization courses at University of Florence; she is the Coordinator of the Master Course in Forensic Odontology. Prof. Pinchi is the chief of the section of Medical Forensic Sciences and the Director of Specialty Course in Legal Medicine of University of Florence. Prof. Pinchi served as President of IOFOS (International Organisation for Forensic Odonto-Stomatology) for two terms 2011-2017 and since2017 she is the Editor of The Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology (JFOS) . She is one of the Italian representative members at European Council of Legal Medicine and at DVI Interpol Working group on Forensic Odontology. Prof. Pinchi is founder and President of Scientific Committee of Pro.O.F. (Forensic Odontology Project) the largest Association of Forensic Odontologists in Italy, Vice-President of GIOAF (Italian Group of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology), is a member of the Committee of the Italian Ministry of Health for the elaboration of Guide-lines for the prevention and clinical management of dental trauma in the childhood. She authored more than 150 papers concerning the dental identification, the mass-disaster, the professional liability of the dentist, the evaluation of dental damage. She is regularly appointed as expert by Courts and lectured nationally and internationally in more than 130 conferences and symposia.

Dr. Stefano Garatti, Webmaster – Italy

He is a private dental practitioner in Monza (Italy).
He took a DDS degree at the University of Milan in 1986 and a MSc degree in forensic odontology at the University of Florence in 2008.
He cooperate with Special Care Dentistry at the hospital of Carate Brianza, near Milan, and he was the chief of Special Care Orthodontics in the same hospital.
Forensic Odontologist since 1997, he has been involved in damage evaluation and in forensic odontology cases as a consultant for insurance companies, private or public institutions. He regularly acts as expert consultant in civil court cases involving the forensic odontology concern, especially dental professional liability.
He is co-author of Forensic Odontology and Special Care Dentistry textbooks, has written several scientific articles and lectures nationally and internationally. Since 2006 member of the board and webmaster of Pro.O.F (Forensic Odontology Project). Since 2011 member of IOFOS board

Dr. Ashith B. Acharya BDS (Dharwad), GDFO (Adelaide) Editor, IOFOS Newsletter, India

Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara University
SDM College of Dental Sciences & Hospital
Dharwad 580009, Karnataka, India

Professor Dr. Ashith B. Acharya is Indias first trained and qualified forensic odontologist, having completed his graduate studies in the University of Adelaide in 2001. After a short three-year stint in Nepal from 2002-05, he returned to his native India to develop forensic odontology. There he helped establish the countrys first exclusive department of forensic dentistry (which he also heads) in SDM College of Dental Sciences in the city of Dharwad (Karnataka state). Subsequently, the private institution he works in was recognised as a State Referral Centre for forensic odontology cases. He is a regular consultant to police, forensic physicians, and anthropologists and has examined and analysed evidence on hundreds of human remains/individuals in a wide variety of forensic odontology/anthropology cases (identification, age estimation, bite marks, etc.). A keen researcher with about 50 publications/contributions in journals and textbooks, he is also a passionate teacher having trained over 300 dentists in structured year-long forensic odontology courses. He has served as advisor and examiner to universities in the UK and Australia and was part of the IOFOS age estimation work group in 2017.

Election Committee

  • Francesco Pradella, Italy
  • Sigrid Kvaal, Norway
  • Lessig Rüdiger, Germany
Updated by S. Garatti – Sep/21/2023