Founding Members
The Group was initiated by Elif Gündüz Bayer and began as a small international online community under the name “Leading Women in Sports Dentistry” in June 2025. In March 2026, the Group expanded and evolved into “Leading Women in Sports Medicine and Dentistry (LWSMD)” as a broader interdisciplinary international interest group.
Elif Gündüz Bayer
She has been serving as an opinion leader and founding member of the Leading Women in Sports Medicine and Dentistry Group. From 2013 to 2017, she made history as Türkiye’s first team dentist in both the Professional and Collegiate American Football League, serving the Boğaziçi University Boğaziçi Sultans team in Istanbul. From 2019 to 2021, she served as a Board Member of the European Association for Sports Dentistry in Rambouillet, France, and concurrently acted as Liaison to the Academy for Sports Dentistry in Illinois, USA. During the same period, she became Türkiye’s first team dentist in the Professional Basketball Super League and FIBA Europe Cup, serving as Team Dentist for the Bahçeşehir College Basketball Team in Istanbul. Her commitment to social responsibility includes participation in the MEK–AÇEV Esenler Education Center social project in Istanbul from 2012 to 2019, as well as involvement in a social project with the Austrian Accident Insurance Institution in Vienna in 2015. Academically, she was a Visiting Lecturer at the Bernhard Gottlieb University Dental School, Department of Orthodontics, in Vienna, Austria, from 2002 to 2017. Since 2007, she has maintained a private orthodontic practice in Istanbul. In 2006, she held her first professional photography exhibition in Istanbul. In 2024, she became a founding member and General Secretary of the Sports Dentistry Association in Ankara, Türkiye. Her specialist training in Orthodontics was completed at the University of Vienna Dental School, Department of Orthodontics, between 1999 and 2002. Prior to that, she earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree (B.Sc. Dent.) from Ankara University Dental School in Ankara, Türkiye, where she studied from 1994 to 1999.
Founding Member
Leslie Rye
Dr. Leslie Rye practiced general dentistry in the Northern Virginia area since 1978. Dr. Rye is a former President of the Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD), and served as co-chair of several ASD Symposiums. She is a pioneer in team dentist program development for ASD Sports Team Dentist Course programs. She is also a fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, Academy for Sports Dentistry and the International College of Dentists. As a long-time dental educator at professional school level and for continuing education programs, she has presented on a range of topics from oral medicine, sports pharmacology, and sports medicine. She has also presented at the NATA (National Athletic Trainer Association) annual sessions and built effective mouthguard and injury prevention protocols along with creating sports mouthguard programs for local schools and sports clubs. She has collaborated with certified athletic trainers for youth sports, semi and pro sports. Dr. Rye has also authored several publications.
Founding Member
Imogen Louise Johnson is an award-winning Dental Therapist based in England, with a specialist interest in sports dentistry, athlete oral health and the role of the dental professional within the wider sports medicine team. She holds an MSc in Sports Dentistry from the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, which she achieved with Merit, and was also awarded a place on the Dean’s List in recognition of her academic achievement. Her postgraduate studies allowed her to combine her clinical background in prevention and oral health with her passion for sport, developing a particular interest in the relationship between oral health, athlete wellbeing and sporting performance. In 2026, Imogen was named Dental Therapist of the Year, recognising her achievements within the profession and her commitment to advancing the role of dental therapy beyond traditional clinical practice. Alongside her clinical work, Imogen is actively involved in the development of sports dentistry both in the UK and internationally. She serves on sports dentistry boards and committees across the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia and New Zealand, contributing to education, professional collaboration and the continued growth of the discipline. Through her clinical, academic and professional roles, Imogen is passionate about raising awareness of oral health within sport, strengthening collaboration between dentistry and sports medicine, and creating opportunities for dental professionals to become more involved in sports dentistry.
Founding MemberImogen Louise Johnson
Dr. Reena Kumar is an internationally recognised academic leader, educator and advocate for athlete health, with over four decades of experience across clinical dentistry, higher education and public health. A qualified Orthodontist with Fellowships in Sports Dentistry and Dental Sleep Medicine, her interests include athlete oral health, injury prevention, sleep and airway health, performance optimisation and multidisciplinary care. Dr. Kumar is Academic Director of the Indian Academy of Sports Dentistry (IASD) and ICanCaRe Academy, and has trained more than 150 dental surgeons in Sports Dentistry. She has also been actively involved with Special Olympics for over two decades, holding regional and national clinical advisory roles. Internationally, she serves on committees within the European Association for Sports Dentistry and Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD), USA, and is an ASD Certified Team Dentist. She is also a founding member of Leading Women in Sports Medicine and Dentistry. Dr. Kumar is Founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Sports Dentistry & Performance Science and holds several other editorial roles. Her contributions to the field have been recognised through multiple awards, including the Global Award for Leadership in Sports Dentistry (2025) and Champion’s Smile Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Sports Dentistry (2026).
Founding MemberReena Kumar
Flavia Del Grosso
Dr Flavia Del Grosso is an Italian dental surgeon, sports professional and educator whose career bridges dentistry, sports medicine and high-performance swimming. A graduate of the University of Siena, Dr Del Grosso has practised dentistry since 2009 and has developed particular interests in sports dentistry, the stomatognathic system, posture, integrated medicine and the relationship between oral health and athletic performance. She also holds an advanced qualification in homeopathy, homotoxicology and integrated medicine from the International Academy of PRM. Alongside her dental career, Dr Del Grosso has worked within sport for more than 25 years. She is a qualified swimming coach and instructor with the Italian Swimming Federation (FIN), with additional specialist qualifications in artistic and Paralympic swimming. Her extensive experience working with athletes provides a distinctive multidisciplinary perspective on the interaction between dentistry, physical performance and athlete health. Dr Del Grosso is actively involved in education and sports development, including roles as a regional trainer and sports tutor, and has contributed to research and publications spanning sports dentistry, swimming, posture and clinical gnathology. Her published work includes research examining the effects of swimming on the stomatognathic system, dental examination protocols in sport and posture in Paralympic swimmers. She is also involved in environmental and sustainability initiatives within the medical and dental profession in Siena and has participated in humanitarian dental missions. Through her clinical, sporting, academic and educational work, Dr Del Grosso advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to athlete health that brings dentistry into the wider sports medicine environment.
Founding Member
Nina Kristina Pinter is an experienced Physiotherapist, Osteopath, and Licensed Alternative Medicine Practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, manual therapy, osteopathy, and patient care. Based in Germany, Nina has developed extensive expertise across physiotherapy and osteopathic practice, with additional specialist training in areas including pediatric osteopathy, craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD), craniosacral therapy, kinesiology taping, manual lymphatic drainage, and exercise therapy. Since 2015, she has been Co-Owner and Senior Physiotherapist at Physiotherapie Lang, Deuser, Pinter GbR in Mannheim, where she combines clinical practice with practice management and provides individualised physiotherapeutic and osteopathic care. Nina also brings her expertise into the sporting environment. Since 2023, she has provided medical support to German Football Association (DFB) referees during TSG Hoffenheim matches, delivering physiotherapeutic and osteopathic support within an elite sporting setting. Her career reflects a strong commitment to multidisciplinary healthcare, rehabilitation, and supporting physical health and performance through evidence-informed, hands-on care. In 2026, Nina became a founding member of Leading Women in Sports Medicine and Dentistry, contributing her experience in physiotherapy, osteopathy, and sports-related care to the organisation’s growing international network.
Founding MemberNina Pinter
Dr Saida Aouni Ep Ayachi is a senior Sports Medicine Physician with more than 25 years of experience in elite international sport, specialising in women’s football, athlete health and high-performance medicine. She currently serves as Head of the Medical Department at Sharjah Women’s Sports in the UAE, leading multidisciplinary medical care for elite female athletes. Previously, Dr Ayachi served as President of the Medical Commission of the Tunisian Football Federation and Medical Lead for the Tunisian Women’s National Football Teams. Her extensive international experience includes the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Africa Cup of Nations, Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Youth Olympic Games and multiple CAF competitions. With expertise spanning injury prevention, sports cardiology, athlete screening, return-to-play and medical governance, Dr Ayachi has also contributed extensively to sports medicine education, research and policy. Her career reflects a longstanding commitment to advancing athlete health and the development of women’s sport.
Founding Member