Prof. Dr. med. Ralf Smeets | DDS | PhD

Prof. Dr. Ralf Smeets is a Full Professor (W3) of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Head of the Division of Regenerative Orofacial Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). He has an interdisciplinary academic background, having studied Chemistry and Economics before completing his medical and dental degrees at RWTH Aachen University.

Prof. Smeets specialized in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2008, followed by a specialization in Oral Surgery in 2009. He was appointed Full Professor (W2) at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UKE in 2011 and later promoted to W3 Professor in 2018. Since then, he has led the Division of Regenerative Orofacial Medicine, focusing on cutting-edge research and clinical applications in tissue regeneration and biomaterials.

Throughout his academic career, he has been actively involved in professional societies, including the German Society of Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine (DGZMK), where he served as Secretary and later President of the Working Group for Basic Research (AfG), and as Vice President of the Working Group for Oral Pathology (AKOPOM). He has also held a Visiting Professorship at the University of Bremerhaven.

His work combines clinical excellence with innovative research, aiming to advance the field of orofacial regeneration through interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific leadership.