Sepideh Banava is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health (OEDPH) within the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences at the UCSF School of Dentistry. She serves as Deputy Director of the Dental Public Health (DPH) Residency Program and is actively involved in program administration, curriculum development, teaching, and research. Sepideh mentors postdoctoral residents and predoctoral students through didactic courses, field site projects, and research activities. She also supervises predoctoral dental students in clinical patient-centered care courses.

With over three decades of experience in clinical practice, research, teaching, and academic leadership, Sepideh’s expertise spans preventive dentistry, dental materials, conservative caries treatment, and modern caries detection tools. She is a strong advocate for risk-based prevention approaches, including Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) and the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). Her research also addresses oral health disparities, oral health literacy, and workforce development in Dental Public Health.

Her current research centers on clinical informatics and the intersection of oral health conditions, social determinants of health, and clinical decision support systems—with a particular focus on orofacial injuries and intimate partner violence (IPV)-related complications. She leads projects that use electronic health record (EHR) data to enhance clinical documentation, screening, and quality of care in dental settings.

Her interests also include the use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies to support behavioral and trauma-informed care. She is actively involved in research on developing tailored oral health messages for individuals with various health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, IPV, and diabetes. Her interdisciplinary collaborations focus on integrating data science into oral health research and education.

Sepideh remains committed to advancing value-based care, promoting community-engaged research, and mentoring the next generation of dental and public health professionals.