Dentistry Educator and Researcher Dr. Shankargouda Patil Featured on Close Up Radio
Dr. Shankargouda Patil, Director of Translational Science and Digital Health Innovation at Roseman University College of Dental Medicine, was recently featured on the Close Up Radio podcast. He spoke with host Jim Masters on December 3 about his multidisciplinary work at the intersection of digital health, oral cancer research, and innovations in dental education.
From digital health platforms to light-based therapies for oral cancer, Dr. Patil’s career spans much of the emerging frontier in dentistry. Trained in India and later earning a doctorate in Italy, he has worked in both technologically advanced centers and low-resource clinical settings—experiences that continue to influence how he approaches research, patient care, and educational design.
Advancing Digital Health in Dentistry
As digital technologies reshape healthcare, Dr. Patil and his colleagues at Roseman are laying the groundwork for dental decision-support systems that integrate de-identified health records, imaging, and biological data. These tools, powered by artificial intelligence, are envisioned to support clinicians in identifying risks earlier and pursuing more personalized treatment pathways.
“Dentistry generates a huge amount of information, but most of it remains locked in charts and servers,” Dr. Patil noted during the interview. “Our goal is to convert that into something like a map—a tool that helps the clinician see risk earlier and choose treatments that fit the individual patient.”
His work incorporates radiomics—complex patterns extracted from dental and oral images—and, in some projects, genomic markers. Patient identities are removed before analysis to ensure privacy while allowing researchers to study large-scale trends that can ultimately improve clinical decision-making.
Innovations in Oral Cancer Research
Oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders remain central to Dr. Patil’s research. These conditions are both preventable and deeply influenced by geography, access to care, and social determinants of health. Dr. Patil’s team is exploring early detection strategies paired with minimally invasive interventions, including image-guided photodynamic therapy—a light-based technique that selectively targets and destroys abnormal cells while sparing healthy tissue.
Transforming Dental Education
In addition to his research, Dr. Patil is helping reshape how future dentists are trained. His teaching incorporates game-based assessments that offer rapid feedback to both students and faculty, improving comprehension before students reach the clinic. His team is also integrating augmented and virtual reality into foundational coursework, creating immersive training environments that mimic clinical procedures and prioritize safety, competency, and readiness.
Commitment to Community Health
Dr. Patil remains deeply engaged in community outreach focused on oral cancer prevention, including education on major risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, as well as human papillomavirus (HPV) and the importance of HPV vaccination. His philosophy is shaped in part by his early experiences growing up in rural India, where access to formal dental care was limited. These experiences continue to guide his commitment to early diagnosis, timely treatment, and equitable access to oral healthcare.
Listen to Dr. Patil’s Interview
Dr. Patil was featured on Close Up Radio with Jim Masters on Wednesday, December 3. You can listen to his episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
Close Up Radio, hosted by veteran broadcast personalities Jim Masters and Doug Llewelyn, is an award-winning series spotlighting leaders and innovators from around the world. With multiple episodes airing daily, the program provides thought-provoking, informative conversations across a wide range of fields, including science, health, business, and the arts.