Meet the 2023 UDSS Team!

President

Jim Rae

Hey there I’m Jim and I’m from Esperance WA, a rural town located about 7 hours south east of Perth. My interests include sport, health and most outdoor activities especially AFL, fishing & camping, touch rugby and ultimate frisbee.

My passion for dentistry has stemmed from having plenty of school friends and local community members go without basic oral health care due to not enough dentists in town (long waiting times… up to months) and/or the costs involved being far out of financial reach for most. I have seen first-hand the social and health consequences from not having access to such care which has driven me to want to become a dentist and return to rural and remote communities.

Vice President

Peter Nguyen

Hi, I’m Peter! 

Dentistry has been a dream of mine since I was a kid so I’m grateful to UWA for providing me the opportunity to study here in Perth. 

When I’m not studying, I can be found playing soccer and basketball, designing graphics and posters, or editing Youtube videos!

Secretary

Josephine Santoso

Hi I’m Josephine and I am exactly 5 feet tall.

Alongside being the secretary of UDSS, I’m also the 2023  Vice President for the ADSA committee. Some of my interests other than dentistry include collecting Lego, travelling and finding good brunch places! I’ve wanted to become a dentist since I was in primary school so I’m currently  living out my childhood dreams!

Treasurer

Laurence Vu

Hey I’m Laurence and I was born and raised in Perth. I’m currently a third year dental student and the best part so far has been seeing and treating my patients in the clinic, and chatting with them about how we can improve their oral health.

Outside of dentistry, I look forward to catching up with friends, watching movies, running, reading, and drinking coffee. You’ll also find me working my after-hours job as a librarian at the UWA libraries. If you spot me, feel free to come say hi!

Immediate Past President

Thomas Mahoney

Tom is a fourth year dental student. Having been the UDSS President in 2022, Tom now assumes the role of Immediate Past President, where he will guide and assist the committee where required. While not at OHCWA he can be found running an irresponsible number of kilometres around Perth.

ADSA Rep

Jadelynn Hiew

I’m Jadelynn and I’m a third year dental student. My personality type is ENTP but this has been pretty inconsistent over the past few years. I enjoy eating good food and reviewing them on Instagram - trust me when I say my standards are high (I’m Malaysian). My hobbies include playing the piano, drawing and painting, but I don’t do it enough. Unlike most people, I‘ve never had a strong drive to become a dentist, or anything really, I just somehow ended up here in dental school. Regardless, I’m so happy with how things turned out and would not trade it for anything else.

Research Rep

Ismail Siddiqui

Fourth year dental student. Chronically sleep deprived and permanently dead inside. I know 2.25 languages. If I’m not at uni I’m trying to outrun my existential dread. Even though the Myers-Briggs test has been debunked, I usually get INTJ/ENTP. Oh, I guess I kinda like table tennis and I wanna learn how to play electric guitar. I get told that I look tired and sound American, even when I’m not, the can of iced coffee in my hand probably doesn’t help with the tired part though.

DMD4 Rep

Joshua Ding

Hi, I’m Josh, and I’m in 4th year. When I’m not at Dent school, I like to play sports and piano.

DMD4 Rep

Christopher Lee

Hello! I’m Chris studying dentistry in my final year. I look forward to finally completing my studies and playing badminton when I’m not at the dental school. I enjoy the sport (a bit too much) but it has given me nothing but back pain…just like dentistry. 

DMD3 Rep

Liam Meinema

Hey there! I’m Liam, a third year dental student and this is my second year being a student representative - a role that I’ve loved doing as it allows me to get to know everyone in my cohort, as well as staff, on a more personal level.

In my free time you can probably find me pumping out coffees to pay the bills, at the gym, running, or frantically trying to book patients in at the last minute in the computer lab!

DMD3 Rep

Carly Pintaudi

Hi I’m Carly. When I’m not at OHCWA and spending time with my favourite dental assistant Josephine Santoso, I enjoy travelling, photography, and spending time at the beach.

DMD2 Rep

Jovan Loh

Hey! I’m Jovan and I am currently in my second year of Dentistry! The reason why I want to become a dentist is because I love to see people smile!

DMD2 Rep

Shreyash Nigam

Hey! I’m Shrey and I’m currently in my second year of dental school. I love playing the guitar, singing and dancing in my free time!  When I’m not in uni you can catch me in the gym, watching Netflix or sleeping.

DMD1 Rep

Monisha Arora

Hey, I’m Monisha!

I’m super excited to be starting Dentistry this year! I’m equally obsessed with art and science which means in my free time you’d probably find me drawing. I love working with people and giving back to my community so volunteer work is something I thoroughly enjoy. 

If I’m not drawing or studying I’m mostly likely down the beach or hanging out with friends. I thrive off coffee, so I’m always down for a coffee catch up! 

DMD1 Rep

Kavin Maharaj

Hey I'm Kav! I'm a newbie to Perth in my first year in dental school. I'm born in Melbourne but have lived 10 years in Oman, so I'm glad to be back in the sun again. 

I love to travel (I will never stop talking about my backpacking trip) and also love the outdoors. Someone once said I have the personality of a dog, and tbh I do love running, swimming, playing sports, or just hanging on the beach! I have also recently picked up reading so if you have a book recommendation, or if you just want to have a chat please hit me up! I'm always down for a cheeky bev/coffee! 

Media Rep

Jewel Ajimon

Hey, I’m Jewel, a second year dental student from Brisbane. During my first year, I appreciated being able to develop our hand skills from the first few weeks  as I did not have any dentistry-related experiences. Outside dental school, I enjoy running (Perth has beautiful routes), experiencing the emotional turmoil of the financial markets, and planning a trip out with friends. 

Media Rep

Kavindi Nawarathne Harischandrage

Hi everyone! I’m Kavindi, yet another DMD2. After lying low during my first year, I’m excited to be a part of the 2023 UDSS committee and contribute to my fellow dental students.

When I’m not scrambling to keep up with content, you can find me sorting through my many spotify playlists, being nose deep in a book or re-watching a crime show for the umpteenth time. I’m excited for the year ahead and wish everyone the very best!

Education Rep

Banafsheh (Benny) Sheriff

Hello! I’m Benny. I’m a fourth year student. When I’m not in clinic, hanging in the pros lab or frantically booking patients, I like to knit and play the organ. I like dentistry because I’ve always wanted to be involved in empowering people to take ownership of their health and I love working with my hands. Amy and I, your Education Reps, will be running Journal Clubs this year. We’re looking forward to making it an informative and engaging space to explore a variety of topics relating to dental practice.

Education Rep

Amy Zhang

Hi! I’m Amy, a final year dental student who has moved over from Sydney. For me, dental school has been a really rewarding experience so far. It’s really fulfilling to know I can do something practical for someone with my own hands to improve their oral health, and with UDSS I get to run some fun journal clubs for students with Benny this year too! Outside of uni you can find me outdoors, trying new food spots around Perth, visiting the beach, or catching a sunset (the sky views here are truly incomparable to anything over East!).

Junior Social Rep

Becca Nguyen

Heya! I’m Becca, a second year dental student originally from Melbourne. Outside of dentistry I enjoy hitting the gym and going for sunset walks, finding good eats around Perth, looking after my plants and getting into the arts - whether that be by playing piano, drawing or knitting. During the break, I’m most looking forward to seeing and spending time with my niece (and all two of her teeth).

Junior Social Rep

Shivangi Sharma

Hey I’m Shivangi, I’m a DMD2 student. When I’m not at uni or catching up on sleep, I’m probably at the gym, buying coffee, shopping, or binging a show. I love going out with friends and hope to create memorable events this year.

Senior Social Rep

Belinda Luu

Hi, I’m Belinda, and I’m a fourth year dental student from Perth (and Melbourne). I’m one of the senior social reps this year, so I’ll be in charge of organising the annual dental dinner! I love cooking, anything matcha flavoured & pilates. In my spare time, I’ll be hanging out with my pet miniature dachshund, whom I adore very much.

Sports Rep

Ashton Foo

Hey, I’m Ashton and I’m a second year dental student. I like dentistry and its pretty cool.

Outside of dentistry, I love being outdoors, travelling and playing sports, especially soccer.

Sports Rep

Reeta Joe

Hey, I’m Reeta Joe and I’m a second year dental student. 

When I should be studying, you will find me taking well-deserved power naps, indulging in peanut butter flavoured mochi from IGA express and pumping iron at UWA sport.

Webmaster

Kaylee Wong

Hey I’m Kaylee and I’m currently in DMD3. When I’m not at uni learning about teeth, I like reading, crocheting, doing Duolingo and hanging out with my friends. I love travelling (New Zealand has been on my bucket-list since 2020) as well as sleeping in on the weekends. I am also the Secretary on the Australian Dental Students’ Association. My favourite part of Dentistry is the hands-on aspect and getting to interact with patients!