Laura Dempster

Education Scholars Program

Professor, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto

Dr. Laura Dempster is a Professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. As an academic, she directs courses in Communication Skills and Behavioural Science in the undergraduate dental curriculum and co-directs courses in Research Methods and Dissemination and Oral Health Seminars to graduate specialty and biomedical students. Laura leads the Education Research theme at Dentistry and held the inaugural Kamienski Professorship in Education Research.  She also contributes as a Wilson Centre Scholar at the Wilson Centre for Research in Education.  Her program of research focuses on teaching and learning, dental anxiety, and dynamics of the clinician/patient relationship, including communication, trust, and patients’ experience. Laura is also committed to faculty development and chairs Dentistry’s FD Committee and co-chairs the Faculty Development Leads Committee at CFD with Latika Nirula. For many years Laura has played an active role in both the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) and its American counterpart, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), with a longstanding involvement in the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) Education Research Group. She is a Past President of the Ontario Dental Hygienists Association (ODHA), the ACFD, and the IADR Education Research Group. She continues to contribute to dental education, research and scholarship in these and other groups locally, nationally and internationally.