Christopher Peck

Biography

Professor Christopher (Chris) Peck is Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry (second term commenced January 2015). He is President of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Orofacial Pain and Fellow of the International College of Dentists. Professor Peck is an orofacial pain specialist who conducts research on biomechanical aspects of temporomandibular (jaw) function, evidence-based diagnosis and management of orofacial pain, and biopsychosocial contributors to pain perception and jaw dysfunction. A strong advocate for multidisciplinary patient management, he is internationally renowned for his leadership and contributions to translational research in orofacial pain, leading the clinical arm of projects involving researchers from biomedicine to mathematics. Professor Peck is a leading voice on dental and oral health issues, championing the need for scientifically-rigorous dental education curricula and for equitable oral healthcare access for all, including Indigenous Australians. He serves on the Oral Health Advisory Group of NSW Health andwas Chair of the NSW Ministerial Taskforce on Dental Health (2011), which led to the development of a State Dental Health Action Plan. Professor Peck is a senior facial pain expert in the NSW public health care system at the Royal North Shore Hospital’s Pain Management Research Institute, involved in patient care, clinical supervision and research, and where he has developed a patient transfer system for specialist dental consultations, resulting in improved patient outcomes. As Dean he has led the transformation of dental research and education strategies, developed interdisciplinary teaching and research (including the Faculty of Dentistry’s active role in the Charles Perkins Centre), successfully obtained multimillion dollar government funding for clinical simulation centres and faculty consolidation, cemented relationships with local health districts, professional bodies and the community, and overseen the faculty’s curriculum revision to align with research-informed teaching.

Research Interest

Professor Peck collaborates with Professor Greg Murray and external multidisciplinary researchers on a broad research program covering: (i) the biomechanics of jaw function and jaw dysfunction, e.g. in temporomandibular disorders (TMDs); (ii) the assessment and management of orofacial pain, including developing, validating and expanding evidence-based diagnostic criteria for TMDs and determining the predictors of chronic orofacial pain; (iii) translational research, in particular, identifying the biopsychosocial contributors to pain-related impaired jaw function, understanding the relationship between orofacial pain and motor activity of the jaw, and determining CNS changes involved in facial pain conditions. Biomechanical studies (with Professor Greg Murray) include assessing the electromyographic (EMG) activity of masticatory muscles, analysis of the movement patterns of the human jaw during chewing, and exploring the effects of isotonic resistance jaw exercises on EMG activity and jaw muscle coordination during movement (with the aim of improving jaw dysfunction through improved muscle conditioning). Additional studies are exploring the effect of biopsychosocial factors (e.g. catastrophising) on orofacial pain perception and on jaw movement. Professor Peck has extensively studied the clinical management of TMD and orofacial pain, including appropriate diagnosis of painful facial conditions and led the development of improved diagnostic criteria for TMDs. Currently he is using an endodontic therapy model to help identify factors that predict progression to chronic pain after root canal treatment. He leads the clinical aspects of interdisciplinary neuroscientific research in orofacial pain (in collaboration with Associate Professor Luke Hendersen, Anatomy & Histology), studying central nervous system (CNS) changes in facial pain syndromes, which have demonstrated differential brain activity in TMD vs painful trigeminal neuropathy. Future studies will use functional MRI neuroimaging to map areas of structural CNS changes and determine correlations, if any, between these changes and functional impairment.