Kostas Kapellas

Dr Kostas Kapellas

Lecturer, Research Associate

Adelaide Dental School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Kostas Kapellas is an NHMRC Early Career Fellow at the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH). Along with this position, he is currently Deputy Director of the Indigenous Oral Health Unit at ARCPOH. He received his Bachelor of Oral Health in 2006 and Bachelor of Sciences, Dentistry (Hons 2A) in 2009 and PhD in 2014 all from the University of Adelaide.

Before commencing his postgraduate and post-doctoral research at ARCPOH, Kostas worked part-time as an oral health therapist for six years (2007 to 2012 inclusive). His honours degree involved describing the oral health status of South Australian adults with diabetes mellitus and assessing the validity of periodontal screening questions in an Australian national survey of oral health. For his PhD, Kostas investigated the relationship between periodontal disease and central arterial stiffness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the Northern Territory. 

Kostas has developed a passion for Indigenous Australian health research since his involvement at ARCPOH. His research interests surround how periodontal diseases potentially influence systemic infection/inflammation, specifically complications in cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Kostas is currently an associate investigator on a trial investigating the effects of periodontal treatment on chronic renal disease/failure, vascular disease and diabetes among patients in Alice Springs.

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    Greek, Modern (1453-) Can read, write, speak and understand spoken

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2010 - 2014 University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy (Dentistry)
    2007 - 2009 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science in Dentistry (honours) Awarded 2A
    2003 - 2006 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Oral Health

NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (2015-2019).

2018 Australian Dental Research Foundation Grant Project title: Sequencing the periodontal microbiome of patients with chronic kidney and end-stage renal disease $12,400

Kostas currently focused on academic research. However, he has assisted undergraduate dental student tutorials in Evidence-Based Dentistry, Community Dentistry and Professional Studies annually since 2007.

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Super donor assessment for characterising healthy donors for oral microbiome transplantation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Sonia Nath
    2017 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Processes of Industrialisation Influencing the Human Oral Microbiome Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Emily Jean Skelly

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2014 - 2017 Representative Public Health Association of Australia Australia
    2013 - 2017 Member International Association of Dental Research Australia
    2007 - 2016 Member Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapy Association Australia
  • Position: Lecturer, Research Associate
  • Phone: 83137339
  • Email: kostas.kapellas@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: West End Health Precinct, North Terrace
  • Building: AHMS - Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences,44-60 Rundle Mall - Rundle Mall Plaza, floor Level Four
  • Org Unit: Adelaide Dental School, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health
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