Paolo Cattaneo

Professor Paolo Cattaneo serves as Professor of Research and Convenor of Orthodontics at the Melbourne Dental School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne. He earned his MSc in Bio-Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic of Milan between 1990 and 1997, and his PhD in Dentistry from Aarhus University in 2003 under the supervision of Prof. Birte Melsen. In 2018, he completed the Leadership Development Programme for Head of Departments at the Copenhagen Business School. His career includes serving as Associate Professor at the Section of Orthodontics, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University from 2010 to 2020; Fellow in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from October 2006 to March 2007; Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark since August 2018; and Honorary Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

Paolo Cattaneo's research focuses on dental biomechanics, bone biology, 3D imaging in orthodontics, and the analysis of dento-alveolar structures and their interaction with external mechanical stimuli, employing in-vitro, in-vivo, and in-silico models, including finite element analysis, computed tomography, stress analysis, and nonlinear analysis. He has authored over 100 publications in peer-reviewed international journals and book chapters, amassing more than 4,400 citations. Notable works include 'Retention in Orthodontics: an evidence-based overview' (2025), 'Skeletal versus conventional anchorage in dentofacial orthopedics: an international modified Delphi consensus study' (2025), 'Three-dimensional analysis of condylar displacement and mandibular segment positions following bilateral sagittal split osteotomy advancement surgery planned with virtual surgical planning: a prospective cohort study' (2025), 'Clinical Effectiveness of Upper Vacuum-Formed Retainers Used in a Dual Retention Protocol After Orthodontic Treatment: Retainer Failures and Upper Arch Stability. A 24-Month Prospective Cohort Study' (2025), 'Orthodontic forces and moments of three-bracket geometries' (2025), and 'Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Early Adolescent Orthodontic Patients: Prevalence and Correlation With Dentofacial Morphological Features' (2025). His contributions have advanced clinical outcome analysis in 3D, orthodontic treatment stability, airway morphology, and retainer effectiveness. In 2025, he received the P. Raymond Begg Research Award at the ASOFRE Foundation Meeting in Hobart for outstanding contributions to orthodontics and elevating the global profile of the Melbourne Dental School's Orthodontics group. He supervises award-winning students, such as Dr. Denice Loo, recipient of the 2025 Athanasios E. Athanasiou Master’s Thesis Award.

Professional Email: paolo.cattaneo@unimelb.edu.au