Dr. Fatma Fenesha
Orthodontist and PhD student Dr. Fatma Fenesha found her healthcare calling in childhood. Inspired by her father’s career in biology, she channels her passion into research, teaching, and patient care.
- Question Where did you grow up, and how do you think that place helped shape who you are today?
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Answer
I grew up living between England and my home country Libya, two places that have deeply shaped my personality today. I traveled and moved a lot when I was young, and that gave me a deeper sense of identity. You grow up holding different versions of home – one shaped my traditions, culture, family ties, and another shaped my languages, education and worldviews.
- Question What’s one childhood memory that still makes you smile when you think of it?
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Answer
I remember choosing the “doctor” role during school role-play activities and pretending to care for patients. I would take my job very seriously, checking on everyone and trying to “treat” them like a real doctor. It makes me smile when I remember how early I was drawn into healthcare and helping others.
- Question Who was the first person to make you think, “I want to be like that when I grow up?”
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Answer
My father is my role model. He is a biology professor, a researcher, and my best friend. Watching his dedication to teaching, research, and lifelong learning shaped the way I approach my career today.
- Question What made you decide that you wanted to become a dentist?
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Answer
I made this decision in high school around the same time I started my own orthodontic treatment journey. Those regular dental visits sparked my own passion for dentistry and orthodontics.
- Question Your dental degree is from the University of Benghazi in Libya, and you earned an orthodontics degree at the University of Sheffield in England. What were some rewarding and challenging aspects of those experiences?
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Answer
I think the most fulfilling part about both programs was providing dental care that could truly change people’s lives –– not only improving their oral health but also raising their self-esteem and quality of life. Both degrees were challenging, requiring the ability to balance clinical sessions, coursework, research and personal life.
- Question You’re now completing the college’s PhD in oral biology program. What made you decide to embark on that educational journey, instead of a career as an orthodontist?
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Answer
I truly love being an orthodontist and I miss being a clinician, but at the same time I enjoy research – it’s fun! For me, it wasn’t about leaving orthodontics but rather expanding my perspectives and growing academically so I can contribute to orthodontics in a different way.
- Question You recently won the college’s first-place prize for graduate research, and your investigations include the innervation and mineralization of teeth as they age. How did you become involved in those research areas?
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Answer
After joining Dr. Sarah Peters’ laboratory here in the college, I learned a great deal about the ways teeth age and I’m very excited about the study of dental aging. We’re living in an aging society, and people nowadays are living longer which makes understanding how teeth change with age increasingly important. As both a researcher and a clinician, I often think about all the patients and the people I care for who may one day benefit from this kind of work.
- Question In 2024, you received a Critical Difference Professional Development Grant from Ohio State's “Women's Place.” Tell us about that grant and how it impacted your work.
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Answer
The Critical Difference Professional Development Grant supports faculty, staff and students in their careers and professional development. It allowed me to attend a conference and present my research, which opened up some networking opportunities and research collaborations.
- Question What’s one of your most important “life” experiences in the last couple of years?
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Answer
Meeting my husband and getting married. It has been a life-changing and grounding experience that has brought a sense of partnership, joy and support into my life.
- Question Looking to the future, what are some things you want to accomplish in your professional and personal life?
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Answer
I hope to integrate everything I’ve learned from my PhD and orthodontic training to provide the highest standard of evidence-based orthodontic care for my patients. At the same time, I’m passionate about teaching, and I would like to contribute to training the next generation of orthodontists. On a personal level, I hope to build a family while finding a balance between my career and personal life.