Meet Our Faculty

Dr. Joanna Rieber is a staff anesthesiologist with Hamilton Health Sciences and a part-time Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University.

A Royal College-certified anesthesiologist with 20 years of experience in hospital-based and out-of-hospital surgical care, she brings deep expertise in ambulatory anesthesia, patient safety and perioperative care.

Dr. Mona Azzam is a physician and educator with extensive experience in medical education and acute care. Her background spans pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine.

She maintains an active clinical practice at Credit Valley Hospital and holds teaching appointments with McMaster Children's Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University Health Network. In 2025, she received Sunnybrook's Course Director of the Year award for ACLS and PALS leadership.

Dr. Chris Hinkewich is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at McMaster University and works across the Waterloo Regional Health Network in Kitchener, Ontario.

He completed his MD, anesthesiology residency and critical care fellowship at Dalhousie University. A recognized educator, he received the 2023 MacCare Excellence in Teaching Award and contributes to global-health teaching in Ghana and Rwanda.

Dr. Soheil Khojasteh completed his DDS and dental anaesthesiology specialty training at the University of Toronto. He is a specialist in dental anaesthesia and a Diplomate of the American Dental Board of Anaesthesia.

He is past President of the Ontario Dental Society of Anaesthesiology, current President of the Canadian Academy of Dental Anaesthesiologists, an examiner for the American Dental Board of Anaesthesia and a clinical instructor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry.

Co-Founder, Gemination Dental CE | President, Gemination Dental Consulting

Chantel brings more than 28 years of experience in dental operations, education and practice management. With an MBA and a background in team development, compliance and practice growth, she helps dental professionals turn knowledge into practical results.

As Co-Founder of Gemination Dental CE alongside Dr. Mireille Kaprilian, Chantel is committed to providing hands-on education and ongoing support that extends beyond the classroom. Her approach combines thoughtful organization, personal guidance and a passion for helping dental teams succeed.

Dr. Abbass Saleh earned his dentistry degree from the Université de Montréal in 2015. He spent the next five years practising general dentistry in Northern Ontario, including at Weeneebayko Provincial Hospital in Moose Factory.

His interest in dental anesthesia led him to pursue residency training at the University of Toronto, which he completed in 2023. His background combines experience caring for northern communities with advanced training in dental anesthesia.

As a member of the Gemination Dental CE faculty, Dr. Saleh brings this clinical perspective to supporting dentists as they develop their knowledge and skills in sedation and patient care.

Dr. Anthony J. Staibano is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who practices primarily in his private clinic in Waterdown and is a staff surgeon at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington. He holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences from McMaster University. Following this, he earned his Doctorate of Dental Surgery, Master of Science and completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency, all from the University of Toronto. Although he practices a wide-ranging and diverse surgical scope of practice, Dr. Staibano maintains a special focus on full-arch implant and reconstructive surgery, as well as TMJ and orthognathic surgery. 

Dr. Gregory Kostandoff BScH, BEd, BMBS, FRCPC is a staff anesthesiologist at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. An FRCPC-trainedanesthesiologist, he has practiced at a major academic teaching hospital for more thana decade and has extensive experience in perioperative medicine, airway management,patient safety, and medical education. Dr. Kostandoff has held numerous leadership roles in postgraduate education, includingClinical Teaching Unit Director and Resident Coordinator at St. Joseph’s HealthcareHamilton and a longstanding role on McMaster’s Anesthesiology Residency Training Committee.

Dr. Hayder Mahdi is a Board-Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist and an active member of the Canadian Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (CAOMR). He earned his dental degree in Jordan in 1997 and practiced dentistry before moving to Canada in 2008, where he worked with Kodak/Carestream Dental Imaging, managing digital dental imaging
operations on the Canadian West Coast.
Dr. Mahdi completed his master's degree in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology at the University of Toronto in 2017. After graduating, he worked with Canaray Dental Imaging before establishing Think 3D Dental Imaging in 2021, where he provides professional CBCT and dental imaging reporting services to dental practices across Ontario.
For Dr. Mahdi, Oral Radiology is not just a profession; rather, it is a mission that involves active interaction with referring dentists to understand their specific needs and help them optimize their imaging standards and radiologic interpretation.

Dr. Karl Cuddy

BSc, DDS, MD, MSc, FRCD(C) Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Consultant Staff, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network

Assistant Professor, University of Toronto

2006 Bachelor of Science, McMaster University

2010 Doctor of Dental Surgery, University of Western Ontario

2016 Doctor of Medicine, University of Western Ontario

2016 Master of Science, University of Western Ontario

2016 Fellow, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

2017 Fellowship in Advanced Craniofacial Surgery and Trauma, Legacy Emanuel Medical Centre, Portland, Oregon

Specialty and General Licenses, Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario

Dr. Majd Al Mardini DDS, FRCD(C), Prosthodontics, Director Ocular and Maxillofacial Prosthetics Unit.

Staff Dentist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network

1998 Doctor of Dental Surgery, University of Damascus

2002 Doctor of Dental Surgery, University of Western Ontario

2005 Certificate of Prosthodontics, University of Rochester, New York

2006 Certificate of Maxillofacial Prosthodontics and Dental Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, Texas

2006 Fellow, Royal College of Dentists of Canada

2006 Fellow, The International Team of Implantology

2010 Fellow, American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthodontists

Member, American College of Prosthodontics

Member, Association of Prosthodontists of Ontario

Member, Association of Prosthodontists of Canada

Member, Canadian Association of Restorative Dentists and Prosthodontists

Member, Canadian Dental Association and the Ontario Dental Association

Co-Founder, Gemination Dental CE | Program Director & Clinical Faculty

Dr. Kaprilian is an experienced general dentist with advanced education and extensive clinical experience in hospital dentistry, treatment of medically complex patients, oral surgery and sedation-assisted dental treatment.

She is an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) and and maintains a surgically focused clinical practice incorporating implant dentistry, complex extractions and sedation-supported procedures.

As Program Director, Dr. Kaprilian provides an important bridge between the principles of sedation and their practical application within general dental practice.

Dr. Sean Curran is a Royal College–certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician and an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University. He completed his training at Western and McMaster Universities and postgraduate fellowship at the University of Sydney, Australia. His anesthesia practice at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton encompasses a broad range of surgical
specialties and has included dental, oral and maxillofacial surgery. He is the Competence Committee Chair and the former Program Director for the Pain Medicine Residency Program at McMaster University.