Acclaimed orofacial pain expert Professor Chris Peck appointed as new Dean of NUS Dentistry

The National University of Singapore (NUS) today announced the appointment of Professor Chris Peck, a well-regarded orofacial pain specialist, educator, and research scientist, as the new Dean of its Faculty of Dentistry. The leadership appointment will take effect from 23 August 2023.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said, “After an extensive search within the University and globally, we are delighted to appoint Prof Chris Peck to helm our Faculty of Dentistry. Given Prof Peck’s extensive leadership in education, research, clinical service and administration as well as his ability to engage and connect with different stakeholders, he is well-placed to work together with the Faculty of Dentistry community to drive the Faculty’s advancement to its next phase of becoming a dental institution of international distinction.”

Prof Peck said, “I am extremely proud to be joining the National University of Singapore, and particularly the Faculty of Dentistry. NUS has demonstrated extraordinary academic achievements locally and internationally with an enviable record of impact. The dentistry faculty has established itself as world-class in education and produces diverse research with productive industry and community links and a focus on community benefit.”

“It’s a privilege to be the next Dean of the Faculty and I very much look forward to working with staff and students leveraging the 3Cs – collaboration, community engagement and a commitment to create a positive impact – to build on the past achievements in improving health and wellbeing in Singapore and beyond,” added Prof Peck. 

Accomplished leader in education, research, clinical service and administration

An authority in the field of chronic pain and its clinical management, Prof Peck will take over as Dean of the NUS Faculty of Dentistry from Associate Professor Wong Mun Loke, who has served as Acting Dean since December 2021.

Before joining NUS, Prof Peck led Australia’s dental accreditation authority, and the orofacial pain clinical, education and research services at Australia’s renowned MJ Cousins pain management and research centre. Highlights of these roles include leading the revision of Australia’s dental competencies and developing an inaugural collaborative university-industry postgraduate course.

Prior to this, as the University of Sydney Vice Chancellor’s Delegate for Australia’s largest health precinct located at Westmead in Western Sydney, Prof Peck led the development and implementation of the university’s interfaculty academic strategy and oversaw many interdisciplinary, inventive and integrated initiatives. These include research projects, co-created with the community, in sustainable health and health literacy; micro-credentialing in human-centred design in health and technology innovation; and tighter collaboration with hospitals, health networks and communities to determine future community needs and health workforce models.

From 2010 to 2018, as Dean of Dentistry at the University of Sydney – which is consistently regarded as one of Australia’s top dental schools – Prof Peck’s leadership focus was on creating a positive community impact. This was achieved through academic initiatives including a dental research strategy focusing on “putting the mouth into health” through collaboration between health and non-health disciplines; and reforming the faculty’s undergraduate and postgraduate educational programmes. As a result, the faculty saw an increase in research growth and ranking, and enhanced relevancy, reputation, and student experience.

Internationally recognised for his translational research and clinical work on chronic pain, Prof Peck has led diverse interdisciplinary research teams and cross-border collaborations to study persistent pain and its management, the outcomes of which have been translated into clinical training and practice, directly helping patients worldwide. He was a chief investigator of four national-level research grants from Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council. A highly sought-after orofacial pain specialist, Prof Peck is also a former President of the International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders (2016 – 2019), and the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Orofacial Pain (2010 – 2023).

Please refer to the Annexe for the biography of Prof Chris Peck.