Dr Trudy Lin

Dr Trudy Lin was awarded 2022 SA Young Australian of the Year, as the youngest of only 25 specialists in Special Needs Dentistry in Australia, providing oral healthcare to vulnerable people in experiencing disability, trauma and complex medical issues, such as cancer. In 2021 she won not only the Awards Australia’s 2021 Career Achievement Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to Special Needs Dentistry, but also was named the 2021 South Australian Young Achiever of the Year, for her contributions to the community outside her profession.

Trudy is strong advocate for inclusion and has made great strides in creating a more inclusive society where every person has equal access to oral healthcare. She has completed an International award-winning research thesis on implementation of a referral tool in the public oral healthcare system in SA, to improve oral healthcare access for people with disability.

Going beyond inclusion in the oral healthcare setting, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Trudy self-funded and established a Supported Independent Living facility for people with disability to live independently in the community. This has served as a platform to raise awareness on Universal Building Design.

Trudy is an inspirational, young leader who has created significant impact, defying the barriers faced from her age, gender and race. A living example of the enormous capacity of young people to impact their community, Trudy strongly believes in the power of mindsets and helping people breaking through self-perceived limits and fears. She ran a 105km ultramarathon on the Heysen trail to fundraise for the Cancer Council, and overcame her fear of the ocean as a PADI certified Rescue Diver and Freediver.

Trudy is passionate about education as an Honorary Senior Clinical lecturer at the University of Adelaide, facilitator of the SA Health Leading Clinicians Program and keynote speaker for the 2022 International Women’s Day Breakfast speaking on inclusion, and the Bright Ideas Summit speaking on innovation and changemaking.

Learn more and watch Trudy speak at her website: trudysmile.net