Inspires students to aim high and excel.
Suzanne Hanlin is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation at the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry. She earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 1978, Master of Dental Surgery in restorative dentistry in 1989, and Postgraduate Diploma in Health Informatics from the University of Otago. Hanlin is a registered specialist prosthodontist in Victoria, Australia, holding fellowships including FRACDS, MRACDS(Pros), FPFA, FADI, and FICD. Prior to academia, she maintained a prosthodontic practice in central Melbourne until 2011, where she served as past president of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch, past honorary treasurer of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, and College nominee to the Australian Dental Council. She also worked as a visiting clinical tutor at the University of Melbourne Dental School for postgraduate and undergraduate students and lectured in the registration training programme for overseas dentists.
Since joining the University of Otago in 2011, Hanlin has focused on teaching and research, directing the ARCH Dental Practice-Based Research Network to foster collaborations between dental practitioners and researchers, improving patient treatment outcomes and addressing oral-general health connections. Her research specializations include practice-based research networks, learning outcomes in prosthodontics, patient care, and health informatics. She has delivered keynote lectures in Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Notable publications co-authored by Hanlin include 'Students’ perceived knowledge and confidence of performing extra-oral clinical examinations during Bachelor of Dental Surgery study in New Zealand' (New Zealand Medical Journal, 2025), 'Preparedness and competency of New Zealand graduates for general dental practice: Perceptions from the workforce' (Australian Dental Journal, 2024), 'Restoration of edentulous mandibles with overdentures' in Fundamentals of Implant Dentistry Vol. 1 (2022), 'Personality, xerostomia and OHRQoL among 35-54-year-olds' (Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 2019), and 'Mechanical properties of denture base resin materials: CAD/CAM versus traditional heat-cure' (New Zealand Dental Journal, 2020). Her contributions advance dental education, clinical research translation, and professional practice standards.
