Griffith University

MSc (Oral Medicine, U. Lond., UK), PhD (HK), MRACDS (OralMed); Oral Medicine Fellow, Harvard University, USA
Discipline Head in Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Human Diseases

Contact details for Dr Raj Nair

Professional Biography

Raj Nair is Discipline Head of Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Human Diseases at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. He has received his Oral Medicine training from Harvard University, USA and University of London, England, UK. He obtained his PhD from the University of Hong Kong in 1996. His clinical training and interests are in the field of oral medicine, management of orofacial diseases, orofacial manifestations in patients with medically-complex diseases, HIV disease and orofacial care in cancer therapy and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He has several publications in the field of Oral Medicine, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. He has presented a number of original research papers in international conferences and has given many invited lectures world-wide. He also serves as an invited consultant and member of the following international consensus groups such as World Workshop in Oral Medicine, World Workshop in Oral Health and Diseases in AIDS and Oral Mucositis Study Group of Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer.

Responsibilities

• Discipline Head:
• Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Human Diseases
• Course Convenor:
• 2016DOH (Introduction to Medicine and Surgery)
• 3007DOH_Y1, 3014DOH, 7003DOH (Oral Pathology)
• 3007DOH_Y2 (Oral Medicine)
• Principal Supervisor: RHD/PhD student
• Supervisor: Community Research Placement Student Projects
• Chair: Continuing Professional Development, Dentistry and Oral Health
  

Qualifications

• MSc (Oral Medicine, University of London, UK)
• PhD (The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
• MRACDS (Oral Medicine), Australia
• Oral Medicine Fellow, Harvard University, USA

Professional admission & memberships

• Harvard University
• University of London
• University of Hong Kong

Membership:

• Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS, Oral Medicine)
• American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM)
• International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
• International Society for Oral Oncology (ISOO)
• Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)

Invited consultant:

• World Workshop in Oral Medicine
• World Workshop in Oral Health and Diseases in AIDS
• Oral Mucositis Study Group of MASCC/ISOO

Clinical expertise:

• Clinical Practice of Oral Medicine
• Palliative care of orofacial toxicities of cancer therapy/haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
• Clinical management of orofacial complications of HIV disease and AIDS
• Orofacial mucosal diseases and pain

Research and consultancy

Research interest and research expertise:

• Orofacial complications as part of gastrointestinal toxicity amongst cancer patients at different Oncology and Haematology Centres
• Role of MINCLE in disease, especially orofacial fungal infections
• Attitude and knowledge of dental professionals on oral mucosal lesions, especially potentially malignant lesions and conditions
• Oral manifestations of HIV disease and Oral Candida dubliniensis amongst HIV positive individuals
  

Selected Publications

• Chu CH, Nair RG, Chan GCF. Orofacial complications amongst children undergoing cancer therapy in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Dent J 2: 102-105. 2005.
• Nair RG, Anil. S, Samaranayake LP. Effect of oral bacteria on Candida albicans germ-tube formation. Acta Pathologica Microbiologica Immunologica Scandinavica. 109(2): 147-154. 2001.
• Nair RG, Samaranayake LP. Effect of oral commensal bacteria on candidal adhesion to denture acrylic surfaces in vitro. Acta Pathologica Microbiologica Immunologica Scandinavica 104: 339-349. 1996
• Nair RG, Samaranayake LP. Effect of  oral commensal bacteria on candidal adhesion to buccal epithelial cells in vitro.  Journal of Medical Microbiology 45: 179-185. 1996
• Nair RG, Samaranayake LP, Philipsen HP, Graham RGB, Itthagarun A. Prevalence of oral lesions in a selected Vietnamese population in Hong Kong. International Dental Journal 46: 48-51. 1996.
• Anil S, Beena VT, Nair RG, Varghese BJ. Detection of HIV antibodies in saliva and its implications. Indian Journal of Dental Research 6(3): 95-98. 1995.
• Nair RG, Samaranayake LP, Bhat M, Anil S. Attitudes and knowledge of Indian dental professionals about HIV infection and AIDS. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 23: 187-188. 1995.
• Anil. S, Nair RG, Beena VT, Vijayakumar T. Evaluation of serum 2-microglobulin in premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral cavity. Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology Oral Radiology Endodontology 79: 750-752. 1995.
• Anil S, Ramani P, Beena VT, Nair RG, Vijayakumar T. Immunoglobulins in the diabetic patients with periodontitis. Annals of Dentistry 54: 30-33. 1995.
• Anil S, Nair RG, Beena VT. Oral candidiasis: a potential expression of HIV infection. CARC Calling 7(2): 19-21. 1994.
• Nair RG, Itthagarun A, Newsome PRH, Samaranayake LP. Severe oral erosive lichen planus due to methyldopa and allopurinol – a case report. Hong Kong Dent J 2: 122-125. 2005.
• Anil. S, Nair RG, Beena VT. Squamous cell carcinoma of gingiva in an AIDS patient. Dental Update. December: 23(10); 424-425. 1996.
• Anil S, Samaranayake LP, Nair RG, Beena VT. Gingival enlargement- as a diagnostic indicator in leukaemia - Case report. Australian Dental Journal. 41: 235-237. 1996.
• Jensen SB1, Pedersen AML2, Vissink A3, Andersen E4, Brown CG5, Davies AN6, Dutilh J7, Fulton JS8, Jankovic L9, Lopes N10, Mello AL11, Muniz LV12, Murdoch-Kinch CA13, Nair RG14, Napeñas J15, Rodrigues AN16, Saunders D17, Stirling B18, von Bültzingslöwen I19, Weikel DS20, Elting LS21, Spijkervet FKL22, Brennan MT23. A systematic review of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by cancer therapies: management strategies and economic impact. Supportive Care in Cancer 2010 Mar 25.
• Jensen SB1, Pedersen AML2, Vissink A3, Andersen E4, Brown CG5, Davies AN6, Dutilh J7, Fulton JS8, Jankovic L9, Lopes NNF10, Mello ALS11, Muniz LV12, Murdoch-Kinch CA13, Nair RG14, Napeñas J15, Nogueira-Rodrigues A16, Saunders D17, Stirling B18, von Bültzingslöwen I19, Weikel DS20, Elting LS21, Spijkervet FKL22, Brennan MT23. A systematic review of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by cancer therapies: prevalence, severity and impact on quality of life. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2010 Mar 17.
• Itthagarun A, Nair RG, Epstein JB, King NM. Fetal alcohol syndrome: case report and review of the literature. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2007 Mar;103(3):e20-5. Epub 2006 Dec 22.
• Al-Hashimi I, Schifter M, Lockhart PB, Wray D, Brennan M, Migliorati CA, Axéll T, Bruce AJ, Carpenter W, Eisenberg E, Epstein JB, Holmstrup P, Jontell M, Lozada-Nur F, Nair R, Silverman B, Thongprasom K, Thornhill M, Warnakulasuriya S, van der Waal I. Oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions: diagnostic and therapeutic considerations. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2007 Mar;103 Suppl:S25.e1-12. Epub 2007 Jan 29.
• Brennan M, Migliorati CA, Lockhart PB, Wray D, Al-Hashimi I, Axéll T, Bruce AJ, Carpenter W, Eisenberg E, Epstein JB, Holmstrup P, Jontell M, Nair R, Sasser H, Schifter M, Silverman B, Thongprasom K, Thornhill M, Warnakulasuriya S, van der Waal I. Management of oral epithelial dysplasia: a review. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2007 Mar;103 Suppl:S19.e1-12. Epub 2007 Jan 25.
• Samaranayake LP, Nair RG. Oral Candida infections: a review. Indian Journal of Dental Research, 6(3): 69-82. 1995.

Scholarly Books and Monographs

• Nair RG. Role of oral physician amongst general dental practitioners. Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch Newsletter, June 2007.
• Chu CH, Nair RG, Chan YHE, Chan MC, Ching YM, Ho WK, Lai OY, Lee CC, Sit KF, Tung J, Wong EK. Oral health assessment and education amongst children undergoing cancer therapy, Community Health Project Series. Hong Kong, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 2004, 128: 1-43 (Publication No. 88853).
• Nair RG, Li TKL. 2002. Diagnostic applications of GE Hispeed FXI CT scan. Oral Diagnosis, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong. CDRom.
• Nair RG. Chapter 32: HIV-infection AIDS and oral health. In, Essentials of preventive and community dentistry, (Ed. S. Peter) Arya (Medi) Publishing House, New Delhi, India.
• Nair RG, Tsang PCS, Samaranayake LP. Chapter: Oral manifestations of HIV-infected individuals in Hong Kong. Proceedings of Hong Kong AIDS Conference B07: 69-75. 1996.

Conference Abstracts and Working Papers (Peer-reviewed)

• IADR, 88th General Session and Exhibition, July 14-17, 2010, Barcelona, Spain. Expression analysis of mincle on human peripheral blood. Vijayan D, Radford K, Bellette B, Beckhouse A, Ashman A, Wells C, Nair RG.
• 6th World Workshop on Oral Health and Disease in AIDS (WW6), April 2009; Beijing, China. “Does HAART Influence the Manifestations of Periodontal Conditions in HIV+ve Patients”. RG Nair.
• Brisbane Immunology Group- 20-21August, 2009; Surfers Paradise, Australia. Differential Expression of Macrophage Inducible C-type Lectin (Mincle) in Human Leucocytes. Dipti Vijayan1,3, Kelly Hitchens1, Bernadette Bellette1, Anthony Beckhouse1, Robert Ashman2, Raj Nair3 , Christine Wells1
• IADR, 86th General Session and Exhibition, June 28 -1 July, 2008, Toronto, Canada. Oral mucositis in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation amongst Chinese patients. RG Nair, A Itthagarun (Griffith University), A Lie, GCF Chan (University of Hong Kong) and Epstein JB (University of Illinois). Dent Res (Spec Iss A), 2008.
• MASCC/ISOO, June 2008, Houston, Texas, USA. Oral mucositis and correlation with haematological events in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Hong Kong” RG Nair, A Itthagarun (Griffith University), A Lie, GCF Chan (University of Hong Kong) and Epstein JB (UIC, Chicago). Supp care in Cancer (Spec Iss A), 2008.
• Griffith Institute of Health and Medical Research Conference 2007. Gold Coast, Australia. December 6-7, 2007, Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast. Co-Chaired session on “Infectious Diseases”.
• International Association of Paediatric Dentistry, June 13-17th, 2007; Hong Kong. Nair RG, Advances and Clinical Applications of Oral Medicine in Paediatrics, Blackwell Scientific Publications, England.
• IADR, 86th General Session and Exhibition, June 28 -1 July, 2006, New Orleans, LA, USA. Haematological events and oral mucositis during haematopoietic stem cell transplantation” RG Nair, A Itthagarun (Griffith University), A Lie, GCF Chan (University of Hong Kong) and ST Sonis (Harvard University). Dent Res (Spec Iss A), 2007.
• IADR, 85th General Session and Exhibition, June 28 -1 July, 2006, Brisbane, Australia. “Perceptiond towards oral carriage of HIV amongst female sex workers. Nair RG, McGrath C. Dent Res (Spec Iss A), 2006.
• 13th International Congress on Oral Pathology and medicine, 21-25 June 2006. Brisbane, Australia.
• IADR, 19th Annual Scientific Meeting, Southeast Asian Division, October 4-5, 2004, Kosamui, Thailand, Orofacial complications amongst children undergoing cancer therapy in Hong Kong. Chu CS, Nair RG, Chan GCF.
• IADR, 82nd General Session and Exhibition, March 10-13, 2004, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. “Perception amongst dental professionals on potentially-malignant lesions and oral cancer. Nair RG, Porter SR, Newsome PRH, McGrath C. J Dent Res 83 (Spec Iss A):2512, 2004.
• IADR, 82nd general Session and Exhibition, March 10-13, 2004, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. “Views of an at-risk group towards oral carriage of HIV”. Nair RG, McGrath C, Newsome PRH. J Dent Res 83 (Spec Iss A):877, 2004.
• European A Association of Oral Medicine 6th Biennial Congress, “Controversies in Oral Medicine”, Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal. 3-5 October 2002. Effect of systemic mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus on oral ulcerative vesicullobullous diseases. Nair RG, Buchanan JAG, Hodgson TA, Porter SR.
• IADR meeting, Goteborg, Sweden, 2003. An epidemiological assessment of the prevalence and referral mechanism of orofacial diseases to the only tertiary dental care institution in Hong Kong – a pilot study. Nair RG, Chu FCS, Newsome PRH. J Dent Res 82 (Spec Iss B), B-26; 2003.
•  ‘From Genes and Proteins to Disease Mechanisms’ – Boston Forum in Oral and Craniofacial Biology. February 5, 1999. Boston, Massachusetts, USA. “Pathogenic and non-pathogenic autoantibodies in pemphigus vulgaris. Nair RG, Bhol KC, Ahmed AR.
• IADR, 76th General Session and Exhibition. June 24-28, 1998, Nice, France. “Oral complications of cancer therapy and bone marrow transplantation amongst Chinese children”. Nair RG, Chan GCF, Ha SY, Lau YL
• 3rd Annual Scientific Symposium of the Hong Kong Cancer Institute, February 25, 1998. Hong Kong.  "The Molecular Basis of Oncology - A Meeting Point for Clinician and Scientist"
• IADR, 75th General Session and Exhibition. March 19-23, 1997, Orlando, Florida, USA. “Effect of oral bacteria on germ-tube formation in Candida albicans”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP. Journal of Dental Research 76 (Special Issue): p 405, abstract # 3132, 1997.
• Hong Kong AIDS Conference, November 8-9, 1996. Hong Kong. i) “Oral manifestations of HIV-infected individuals in Hong Kong”, p 55, abstract # B07; ii) “Oral yeasts and coliforms in HIV-infected patients in Hong Kong”, p 59, abstract # B11, Tsang PCS, Samaranayake LP, Nair RG.
• International symposium: Formation and repair of mineralized extracellular matrix, October 18-19, 1996. Hong Kong. “Bacteria-candida interactions in the oral cavity: in vitro evaluations”. Nair RG. pp 217, abstract # C07, Bone formation and Repair: Exerpta Medica Internationa Congress Series 1139, AM Rabie and MR Urist (Eds), Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 1997.
• IADR, 11th Annual Scientific Meeting, Southeast Asian Division, October 4-5, 1996. Jakarta, Indonesia. “Variations in germ-tube formation amongst oral Candida albicans isolates from HIV-infected and uninfected individuals”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP. Journal of Dental Research 76 (5): p 1210, abstract # 7, 1997.
• International Conference on AIDS, July 7-12, 1996. Vancouver, Canada. “Prevalence of oral lesions of HIV/AIDS in Indian population”. Anil S, Beena VT, Nair RG. Int Conf AIDS 11(2): 449, abstract # Pub.B.1069, 1996.
• ORAL AIDS 3: 3rd International Workshop on the Oral Manifestations of HIV Infection. May 28-31, 1996, London, United Kingdom. “HIV-infection: perception amongst Indian, Thai and Chinese dental professionals”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP, Luangjermekorn L, Itthagarun A. Abstract # P10.8, page 58.
• IADR, 74th General Session and Exhibition. March 13-16, 1996, San Francisco, USA. “The effect of  oral commensal bacteria on candidal adhesion to buccal epithelial cells”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP. Journal of Dental Research. 75 (Special Issue): p 204, abstract # 1496, 1996.
• 2nd Asia Pacific Workshop for Oral Mucosal Lesions, November 5-8, 1995, Chiang Mai, Thailand. i) “Prevalence of oral lesions in a selected Vietnamese population”; ii) “Oral Candida and coliforms in Chinese HIV-infected patients”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP, Philipsen HP, Graham RGB, Itthagarun A; and Tsang PCS, Samaranayake LP, Nair RG, respectively.
• IADR, 73rd General Session and Exhibition. June 28 - July 1, 1995, Singapore. Tsang PCS, Samaranayake LP, Lee SS, Li P, Nair RG. “Oral Yeasts and coliforms in HIV-infected patients in Hong Kong”. Journal of Dental Research 74 (Special Issue): p 415, abstract # 117, 1995.
• 83rd FDI Annual World Dental Congress. October 23-27, 1995, Hong Kong. “HIV Disease: Perception Amongst Indian and Thai Dental professionals”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP, Luangjermekorn L, Itthagarun A. International Dental Journal 45: p 307, abstract # 128, 1995.
• International Conference on AIDS / International Conference on STD, August 7-12, 1994. Yokohama, Japan. “Dental professionals attitude and knowledge towards HIV infection and AIDS - an Indian experience”. Anil S, Nair RG, Beena VT, Vijayakumar T. International Conference on AIDS/International Conference on STD 10 (2): 264 abstract # PC 0427, 1994.
• IADR, 72nd General Session and Exhibition. March 10-13, 1994, Seattle, USA. “Effect of Oral commensal bacteria on candidal adhesion to denture acrylic surfaces”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP. Journal of Dental Research. 73 (Special Issue): p 391, abstract # 2313, 1994.
• Dental Research Seminar Series (summer). December, 1994, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. “Interactions of  Candida and oral bacteria”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP.
• Annual Scientific Meeting, 8 December, 1993, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. “The effect of oral commensal bacteria on candidal adhesion to denture arylic surfaces”. Nair RG, Samaranayake LP. p18, abstract # 11, 1993.