Senior Principal Research Fellow – Oral Epidemiology

Senior Principal Research Fellow

Join Population Oral Health at the UQ School of Dentistry and lead internationally recognised research that improves oral health outcomes and reduces inequalities across communities. As Senior Principal Research Fellow you will shape strategic research agendas, strengthen population oral health surveillance and translate evidence into policy and practice. You will work within a purposeful, multidisciplinary team spanning oral epidemiology, health inequalities, causal inference, health promotion, health services research and policy development, with the support of a collaborative and inclusive research community committed to creating meaningful change together.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Research: Lead high-quality, internationally recognised research in oral epidemiology and population oral health surveillance, including influential publications, significant competitive funding applications and the translation of research into policy, practice and impact.
• Research leadership and engagement: Shape strategic research agendas, build productive national and international collaborations, and serve as a senior trainer and gold-standard examiner for NHMRC-funded and MRFF-funded population oral health projects.
• Supervision and Researcher Development: Build and lead a research team, act as Principal Supervisor for Higher Degree by Research students, mentor junior academics and researchers, and strengthen capability through responsible, supportive and effective research leadership.
• Citizenship and Service: Demonstrate leadership aligned with UQ values, contribute to academic governance and discipline service, and advance partnerships with industry, government, professional bodies, research end users and the wider community.

  This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ's Criteria for Academic Performance.

  You will bring visionary research leadership, deep expertise in oral epidemiology and a collaborative commitment to improving population oral health.

  You will demonstrate:

  • Completion of a PhD in oral epidemiology or a closely related field.
  • A sustained record of outstanding impact and achievement in oral epidemiology and dental public health research.
  • International recognition in oral epidemiological research and population oral health surveillance, supported by an excellent record of publications in reputable refereed journals and presentations at major conferences.
  • Demonstrated success in leading research teams and seeking, obtaining and managing significant external research funding, with experience as a principal investigator on Category I grants considered advantageous.
  • Substantial experience in large-scale national or international oral epidemiological research, oral epidemiological examinations, and the management and analysis of complex oral epidemiological data.
  • An extensive record of successfully supervising Honours and Higher Degree by Research students to completion and developing the capabilities of junior researchers.
  • A strong record of meaningful internal and external academic service, together with well-developed communication, interpersonal and consultative skills and the ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary environments.

    As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged. As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.

    Within the School of Dentistry, Population Oral Health at UQ brings together multidisciplinary expertise to advance large-scale oral epidemiological research, strengthen research capacity and translate evidence into better oral health outcomes. Explore the team's work and its commitment to reducing inequalities through research, knowledge translation and advocacy.

    The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad: from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements, access to exclusive internal-only vacancies, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

    For more information about this opportunity, please contact Professor Saso Ivanovski at [email protected]. For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at [email protected], stating the job reference number below in the subject line.

    When you apply, please ensure you upload a resume, cover letter, and responses to the 'About You' section. Please note that applications received via email will not be accepted.

    Applications close Monday 5 October 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-66966).