World leader in dental public health and humanitarian action to visit Adelaide in NCHRF Research Week

The Northern Community Health & Research Foundation is delighted to welcome Professor Emilio Nuzzolese to Adelaide in September as our 2026 Visiting Professor.

An outstanding global figure in social justice, dental public health and humanitarian action, Professor Nuzzolesse is responsible for the Human Identification and Forensic Odontology Research Laboratory at the University of Turin, which provides forensic odontology services on a pro bono basis, both onsite and remotely. 

This laboratory operates at the intersection of scientific research, humanitarian practice, and human rights protection, contributing to the identification of vulnerable individuals and the advancement of applied forensic science in service of society. 

Professor Nuzzolese is the co-founder of Solidarity Dentistry for Infants and Handicapped (SOPHI) and founder and President of the Association for Forensic Odontology and Human Rights (AFOHR).

Prof. Dr. Emilio NUZZOLESE, DDS, LLB, DCrim, MSc, PhD

Professor Nuzzolese joined the Italian Red Cross in 1995 and has since been actively engaged in solidarity-based initiatives at national and international levels. 

In 2010, together with a multidisciplinary team of dentists and dental hygienists, he co-founded SOPHI (Solidarity Dentistry for Infants and Handicapped), an association dedicated to promoting oral health and preventing dental neglect among disadvantaged populations. 

Through SOPHI, Professor Nuzzolese has organised five public conferences, participated in numerous institutional and professional working groups, and contributed to oral health promotion projects in primary and secondary schools. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 publications, including articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and textbooks, with particular emphasis on child abuse and forensic odontology. 

His commitment to solidarity dentistry also includes extensive hands-on volunteer activity in Turin and Bari, where he provides dental screenings and basic treatments for homeless individuals, free dental care and preventive services for minors from low-income families, and specialised outreach for unaccompanied minors and persons with disabilities.

At national and international levels, Prof. Nuzzolese is the founder and President of the Association for Forensic Odontology and Human Rights (AFOHR). He serves as International Delegate of the Italian Academy of Legal and Forensic Dentistry (OL-F) and is an Officer of the Italian Red Cross Military Corps, having taken part in several international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions abroad.

His professional, academic, and humanitarian commitment has been recognised through numerous honors. In 2015, he was appointed Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by the President of the Italian Republic. He also holds the title of Ambassador for Human Rights and has received several medals for military peacekeeping missions, along with various recognitions from humanitarian and solidarity-based non-profit organisations.