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Dr. Ashith B. Acharya

Dental Council of India-Recognised Forensic Dentist

About Me & My Work

I am India's first qualified forensic dentist, having undertaken my post-graduation in the Forensic Odontology Unit, University of Adelaide, Australia in 2001.

Just before that, in 1999, I graduated from SDM College of Dental Sciences & Hospital in Dharwad, Karnataka. I've been working here now for seventeen years, helping the institute establish India's first exclusive forensic odontology department. Today, the department is recognised by the Karnataka government as a State Referral Centre for forensic dental cases. Previously, I had helped set up South Asia's first exclusive department of forensic dentistry in B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal, where I worked from 2002 to 2005. I co-founded the Indian Association of Forensic Odontology (IAFO) in 2000 of which I am currently President-elect. The Association has more than 600 members. The IAFO is a member-society of the International Organization for Forensic Odonto-Stomatology (IOFOS). I am an Executive Member of the IOFOS and also serve on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology, the official publication of the IOFOS.

My professional assignments include teaching, research and forensic casework. I not only undertake research but also innovate – publishing the same in internationally reputed forensic and dental journals. Many of these are highly cited and you can view my publication metrics on Scopus and Google Scholar. In fact, I am listed as a top 1% and top-100 forensic researcher in the world in terms of citations in the last year (category “Legal and Forensic Medicine”), as per findings of the renowned publisher Elsevier BV (Netherlands); you can download some of my scholarly articles on ResearchGateI include the results of these published work in my teaching assignments within my institute and beyond. I am consulted by the police and the forensic fraternity in forensic odontology and forensic anthropology cases, and I have provided opinion on hundreds of human remains/subjects. I am also consulted by international and Indian institutions as an examiner/advisor of research thesis and forensic odontology courses.

In addition, I serve as a resource faculty in short-term forensic dental training programmes across the country — be it day-long hands-on workshops or year-long Fellowship programmes.

A major programme I have been associated with is the Fellowship in Forensic Odontology offered by my university in Dharwad. I also serve as a resource faculty in a forensic odontology fellowship programme organised by DY Patil University, Navi Mumbai.

Summary

A top 1% forensic researcher in the world, I graduated from the Forensic Odontology Unit, University of Adelaide, Australia

I head India's first exclusive department of forensic odontology in Dharwad, Karnataka

I am consulted by dentists and the forensic fraternity from around India in forensic odontology & anthropology cases