Professor Lakshman Samaranayake
Professor Emeritus of Oral Microbiology | Editor-in-Chief, International Dental Journal
Prof. Lakshman Samaranayake is Professor Emeritus of Oral Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong and a globally recognized academic in oral microbiology and dental research. After graduating in dentistry, he specialized in medical and oral microbiology and served as a Consultant Microbiologist in Glasgow, UK, before pursuing an international academic career spanning Sri Lanka, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong.
He has held senior academic leadership positions including Dean of Dentistry at the University of Hong Kong and the University of Queensland, where he played a key role in developing internationally recognized dental programs. Prof. Samaranayake has authored more than 500 scientific publications and several seminal texts in oral microbiology, with over 37,000 citations and an h-index exceeding 100.
He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the International Dental Journal and has received numerous international honors, including the King James IV Professorship and the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award, recognizing his lasting contributions to dental science and education.
All Sessions by Professor Lakshman Samaranayake
Keynote - From Biofilm to Big Data: AI and the Exposome Revolution in Oral Diagnostics
Oral microbiology and pathology are entering a transformative era shaped by multi omics technologies, artificial intelligence, and the emerging science of the exposome. Moving beyond culture-based diagnostics and morphology alone, contemporary approaches integrate microbial ecology, host response, environmental exposures, and computational analytics to redefine disease detection and risk prediction. This lecture explores how dysbiosis, functional microbiomics, digital pathology, and AI-driven modeling are reshaping the diagnosis of caries, periodontitis, and oral cancer. Emphasis will be placed on exposome–microbiome interactions and the development of predictive, precision oral medicine, positioning academic oral pathology at the forefront of data-driven diagnostic innovation.