Mehrsa Zakershahrak
Adelaide Dental School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Dr Mehrsa Zakershahrak is a public health researcher and evaluator with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and a PhD in Dentistry from the University of Adelaide. She completed her PhD at the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), Adelaide Dental School, under the supervision of Professor David Brennan and Dr Dandara Haag. Her research focused on how psychosocial factors modify the relationship between socioeconomic position and health outcomes, using large population-based datasets and advanced multivariable modelling to examine interaction effects and health inequalities. Her thesis was unconditionally accepted by two international examiners and recommended for the University Doctoral Research Medal.
Mehrsa also completed a Research Translation Fellowship at SAHMRI, where she led and supported projects in implementation science, evaluation, and applying evidence-based research to inform policy and healthcare practice.
Her current projects contribute to the development and evaluation of equitable models of care and public health interventions for vulnerable populations.
Her research interests include population health, health-related quality of life, psychosocial and socioeconomic determinants of health, and the use of advanced epidemiological, qualitative and quantitative methods to inform health equity and patient-centred care.
She is a regular peer reviewer for several international journals, including Nutrients, PLOS ONE, International Journal of Dental Hygiene, Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and Applied Sciences.
PhD project:
- Population-based studies using the Dental Care and Oral Health Study, with a focus on socioeconomic and psychosocial factors related to patient-reported health outcomes, such as oral health impact, general health and quality of life.
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Awards and Achievements
Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount 2022 Research Award Eustace Travel scholarships Adelaide dental school Australia - 2022 Award Adelaide Dental School Prize Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, the University of Adelaide Australia - 2019 Scholarship Adelaide scholarships international Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide Australia - -
Language Competencies
Language Competency English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review Persian Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review -
Postgraduate Training
Date Title Institution Country 2019 PhD in Dentistry University of Adelaide Australia -
Certifications
Date Title Institution name Country — Data Manipulation and Visualization SPSS and R Intersect Training, University of Adelaide Australia — Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program Joanna Briggs Institute, University of Adelaide Australia — Data Entry and Processing SPSS and R Intersect Training, University of Adelaide Australia -
Research Interests
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Journals
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Conference Papers
Year Citation 2016 Moshari, A., Vatanpour, M., & Zakershahrak, M. (2016). The efficacy of low-level laser treatment in reducing pain and swelling after endodontic surgery: A systematic review. In D. C. Todea, A. G. Podoleanu, & V. F. Duma (Eds.), Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 9670 (pp. 4 pages). Bucharest, ROMANIA: SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING.
DOI Scopus1 WoS12015 Zakershahrak, M., & Zakershahrak, M. (2015). HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma and Discrimination among Dentists. In HN10101120071. Shiraz, Iran. -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2022 Zakershahrak, M., & Brennan, D. (2022). Is the association between income and oral and general health-related quality of life modified by sense of coherence? Findings of a cross-sectional study. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Australian Society for Medical Research Scientific Meeting. The Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, Australia. 2022 Zakershahrak, M., & Brennan, D. (2022). Sense of coherence as the effect modifier of the association between income and oral and general health-related quality of life - Findings of a cross-sectional study. Poster session presented at the meeting of The 16th annual Florey Postgraduate Research Conference. 2022 Zakershahrak, M., & Brennan, D. (2022). Personality traits modify the association between income and self-rated health. Poster session presented at the meeting of The 61st Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Association for Dental Research, Australia & New Zealand Division. The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. 2021 Zakershahrak, M., & Brennan, D. (2021). Effect of personality traits on socioeconomic inequalities in oral health-related quality of life.. Poster session presented at the meeting of The 15th Annual Florey Postgraduate Research Conference. The Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, Australia. 2021 Zakershahrak, M., & Brennan, D. (2021). Personality traits, socioeconomic inequalities and quality of life in self-rated health. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Australian Public Health Conference.
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External Profiles
