Associate Professor Matthew Hopcraft | |
|---|---|
| Born | Matthew Scott Hopcraft |
| Education | BDS, MDS, BA, Ph.D. |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation | Dentist |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Television | MasterChef Australia |
| Title | Associate Professor in Professional Practice, Melbourne Dental School |
| Term | 2017 - |
| Spouse | Erika |
| Children | Two |
Matthew Scott Hopcraft (born 1971) is an Australian dentist, public health academic and television cook.
Hopcraft was raised in country Victoria and attended Mooroopna Secondary College.[1] He has the degrees of Bachelor of Dental Science, Master of Dental Science and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Melbourne,[2] and Bachelor of Arts from Deakin University.[3]
Upon graduation, Hopcraft served as a Dental Officer in the Australian Army, and worked in both public and private dental practices.[4][5]
Hopcraft was the Director, Assessments and Examinations at the Australian Dental Council and is an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at the Melbourne Dental School of The University of Melbourne.[4] He was a member of the Council of the Victorian branch of the Australian Dental Association from 2005 to 2016,[2][6] President in 2011[4] and a federal councillor for 2 years.[7] He is currently co-director of Sugar-free Smiles, an organisation raising awareness of the health impacts of high sugar diets and advocating for the introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.[8]
He has been widely cited by the media on matters related to dental health.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
Hopcraft was selected in the Top 24 contestants in the 2015 reality television cooking program MasterChef Australia.[16][17][18][19] He was eliminated on 16 July 2015, finishing in sixth place.[20] His post-MasterChef career saw him release a cookbook in June 2017 called Food to Feed the Family. (ISBN 136420018X)[21]
He is currently Associate Professor in Professional Practice at the Melbourne Dental school, and was formerly the CEO of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch.[22][23][24]
Hopcraft has been widely published since 2003. A list of his academic publications and presentations is available at The University of Melbourne website.