The IADR invites you to the next Ask Me Anything Event on December 1 at 12 p.m. ET, exclusively available in the IADR Community.
What is an Ask Me Anything (AMA) event? A live, text-based, one-hour virtual event where IADR Community members can interact through online discussion with an expert in dental, oral, and craniofacial research.
How does it work? IADR Community members submit their questions to this discussion thread. Your questions will be answered in real time via discussion post questions and answers on December 1 at 12 p.m. ET in the IADR Community.
Topic: Bridging Dentistry and Medicine: Current Research Trends in HIV Oral Health
Expert: Prof. Latifa Berrezouga is a Tunisian academic and dental clinician specializing in medical microbiology, immunology, restorative dentistry, and endodontics at the University of Monastir.
Introduction:
Professor Latifa Berrezouga is a Tunisian academic and dental clinician specializing in medical microbiology, immunology, restorative dentistry, and endodontics. Born in Tunis, she built her academic and clinical career at the University of Monastir, particularly at the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Teaching Dental Clinic of Monastir, and Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital. Being the top graduate of her literary baccalaureate promotion, Prof. Berrezouga earned the opportunity to choose a medical field for her university studies. She brilliantly defended her thesis degree in dental medicine about Oral Cancers’ Diagnosis and Treatments (1991). To deepen her knowledge in medical biology, Prof. Berrezouga continued an important part of her scientific training in Paris, France: She obtained several certificates in medical and biological sciences including bacteriology, virology, cytology, and histology. She worked in the Bacteriology, Virology, and Infection-Control Laboratory at Henri-Mondor University Hospital in Créteil (Major in bacteriology). She was involved in the diagnosis and identification of antibiotic susceptibility profiles of microorganisms from clinical samples across various pathologies, working alongside her physician mentors.
She completed a master’s degree in microbial ecology, microbial pathogenicity, and infectious agents at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Châtenay-Malabry, University of Paris XII. Her master’s research focusing on the resistance of Enterococcus species to lincosamides, under the supervision of Professor Roland Leclercq, enabled her to describe a new resistance gene, which led to a publication in the prestigious journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (AAC). In 1997, she obtained a diploma in immunology from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. And in 2009, she also completed training in restorative dentistry and endodontics at Bretonneau Hospital in Paris. Her years in France played a decisive role in shaping her interest in microbiology, infectious diseases, and the relationship between oral health and systemic health. After returning to Tunisia, Prof. latifa Berrezouga put her research career on hold for humanitarian reasons. She taught microbiology and immunology and acquired clinical expertise in endodontics and dental traumatology. Her commitment to research was revived with the launch of the Tunisian Section of the IADR in 2012; as a founding member holding various positions (Secretary, Treasurer, IADR/AMER Secretary, President), she actively engaged hundreds of young people in research and introduced the IADR Hatton & Awards Competition to enable Tunisian students to benefit from the unique scientific and human experience of the IADR GS & Exhibition Meetings. The Tunisian Section has been honored on multiple occasions by the IADR HQ in Vancouver (Canada), New Orleans (USA), and in Dubai (UAE).
Prof. Berrezouga doctoral research lies at the intersection of dentistry, infectious diseases, and biochemistry. It examined oral health, oral and facial manifestations of HIV/AIDS infection, and the potential use of salivary biochemical parameters as a source of biomarkers. She defended her PhD thesis on December 4, 2024, receiving the highest distinction. She also acknowledged the financial support of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Regional Development Program, which helped her complete her PhD thirty years after obtaining her scientific master’s degree in Paris in 1994. Prof. Berrezouga has published around thirty papers in international journals and more than 65 IADR abstracts. She is also an international speaker. Moreover, her passion for sport and artistic activities has reinforced her vision that the world is interconnected and that links may exist everywhere.
