Dr Sobia Zafar

Clinical Senior Lecturer

School of Dentistry
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences
s.zafar@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 58048

Overview

Dr Sobia Zafar is a specialist paediatric dentist, clinical senior lecturer and the discipline lead in paediatric dentistry at The University of Queensland. She also holds an affiliated position of Senior Research Fellow at the Child Health Research Centre. She is the current president of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ANZSPD) Qld section and the councillor for the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) ANZ for Brisbane section.

Sobia completed her DClinDent and PhD from the University of Otago, New Zealand. Her research and clinical interests are in dental education, digital dentistry, and children's oral health, including those with special needs. She is frequently an invited speaker nationally and internationally on these subjects. Sobia has over 100 publications, comprising full journal papers, a book chapter and published abstracts, in national and international high-quality peer-reviewed journals. Sobia has successfully supervised 40 Honours research students, five HDR (PhD and MPhil) and two DClinDent students to completion. Sobia was the winner of the "Best Research Supervisor Award" for Higher Degree Research students in 2022 and also in 2023.

She is a passionate teacher involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at UQ and in the wider dental profession in Australia and overseas. She has also conducted multiple hands-on courses locally and overseas for the Australian Dental Association Qld branch. Sobia has received numerous teaching awards and fellowships in recognition of her contributions, including from UQ the HABS Commendation for Substantive Contributions to Student Learning (2020), HABS Programs that Enhance Learning (APEL) Commendation (2021), HABS Commendation for Substantive Contributions to Student Learning Award (2022), and a UQ Teaching Excellence Award for APEL Commendation (2022). In 2022, she gained a Fellowship from the Faculty of Dental Trainers of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, UK, as peer recognition for her accomplishments in dental education. She has recently received the Excellence in Health Professional Education Award from the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) and Flinders University (2023).

Sobia is a highly recognised and respected community leader. Sobia is involved with various dental charities, including the Australian Dental Health Foundation, the Esesson Foundation, and the Turbans4Australia, to provide emergency and essential dental care to underprivileged children (refugees, asylum seekers, those with special needs, and from disadvantaged communities) in the Brisbane and Gold Coast regions. Her efforts as a community leader and leading health professional have been recognised with awards within UQ (the 2022 LeadHers Rise Community Award) and at the national level (the 2022 Appreciation Award from Turbans4Australia). As recognition from her dental peers, she was granted a Fellowship of the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

Research Impacts

Awards

  • 2023 Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Award Finalist - Outstanding early career researchers
  • 2023 Best Rsearch Supervisor Award - Winner - UQ SoD Research Day
  • 2023 Excellence in Health Professional Education Award - The Flinders University - ANZAHPE
  • 2022 HABS Commendation for Substantive Contributions to Student Learning Award (Early Career Researcher),The University of Queensland
  • 2022 LeadHers Community Leadership Award, The University of Queensland
  • 2022 Appreciation Award for Community Work, Turbans4Australia, Green and Gold Charity, Australia
  • 2022 UQ Techaing Excellence Award for Programs that Enhance Learning Commendation, The University of Queensland
  • 2022 Best Research Supervisor Award, UQ School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland
  • 2021 HABS Award for Programs that Enhance Learning Commendation, The University of Queensland
  • 2020 HABS Commendation for Substantive Contributions to Student Learning Award, The University of Queensland
  • 2015 Awarded Best student presenter prize at Annual Research Day, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, New Zealand
  • 2015 Winner IADR NZ division Travel Award, University of Otago, New Zealand
  • 2014 University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship, New Zealand
  • 2013 University of Otago Departmental Scholarship, New Zealand
  • 2012 Awarded Runner up Colgate senior category IADR ANZ Division, University of Otago, New Zealand
  • 2012 Awarded Best student presenter prize at Annual Research Day, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, New Zealand
  • 2011 University of Otago Departmental Scholarship, New Zealand
  • 2010 University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship, New Zealand
  • 2007 Awarded Best Junior Researcher prize, University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • 2001 Gold Medal in Oral Pathology (National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan)
  • 2001 Distinction in Oral Pathology (National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan)
  • 2000 Gold Medal in Oral Medicine & Periodontology (National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan)
  • 1999 Gold Medal in Dental Anatomy, Histology &Tooth Morphology (National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan)

Professional Memberships

  • 2020 - present The Australian Collaborative Education Network Limited (ACEN)
  • 2020- present International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT)
  • 2020- present The Australian Collaborative Education Network Limited (ACEN)
  • 2016- present Australian Dental Association (ADA)
  • 2015- present Australia & New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry (ANZSPD)
  • 2012- present International Association of Dental Research (IADR)

Media

  • 2022 - UQ News - Link: https://tinyurl.com/28mu7cxn
  • 2022 - Bite Magazine - Link: https://www.bitemagazine.com.au/virtual-teaching-at-australian-uni-improves-dental-reality/
  • 2022 - Australian Muslim Achievement Awards - Finalists and Winners - Mission of Hope, Australia - Link: https://missionofhope.org.au/amaa-2022-finalists-and-winners/
  • 2020 - Dental Mirror - ADAQ Spring Issue - https://adaq.informz.net/adaq/data/images/Dental%20Mirror/ADAQ_Mirror_Sep2020_web-compressed.pdf
  • 2019 - Dental Mirror - ADAQ December issue Link: https://indd.adobe.com/view/5d9fb8f1-c605-4ddd-a710-6b6eac77046d

Qualifications

  • Member, Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons
  • International College of Dentists, International College of Dentists
  • Higher Education Academy, Higher Education Academy

Publications

View all Publications

Publications

Book Chapter

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision