Dr Melanie Hayes is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, involved in teaching and research at the Melbourne Dental School. She is also a Conjoint Lecturer at the University of Newcastle. Melanie has a Bachelor of Oral Health, a Bachelor of Health Science (Honours), and a PhD in Oral Health from the University of Newcastle. Her thesis explored the occupational health of dental professionals.  In her role as Senior Lecturer, Melanie is involved in developing and teaching dental hygiene curriculum, and the supervision of BOH, DDS, Honours and PhD student research. Her own research interests currently include dietary advice for caries prevention and dental education.  Melanie is also the President of the Dental Hygienists Association of Australia, and Chair of the Education and Research Committee for the International Federation of Dental Hygienists. She has represented the dental hygiene profession in a variety of forums, including the Australian Dental Council, the National Oral Health Alliance and the National Oral Health Plan KPI Workshop.