GOLD Speakers

Sharon Smart, PhD, BSc, PGCert Higher Education Innovative Learning, CPSP, FHEA

• Speaker Type: Form & Function in Focus: Advancing Your Tongue-Tie Practice Lecture Pack, 2026 Main Presentation
• Country: Australia

Biography:

Dr. Sharon Smart is a speech-language pathologist and Senior Lecturer from, Perth, Western Australia. Her clinical and research expertise focuses on pediatric feeding and swallowing, oral–motor function, and the assessment and management of ankyloglossia (tongue‑tie) across infancy and childhood.

Dr. Smart's work emphasises interprofessional, family‑centred approaches to care, particularly in the context of breastfeeding, bottle‑feeding, and functional feeding outcomes following frenectomy. She has contributed to the development of international practice guidelines and educational resources to support clinicians and caregivers navigating pre‑ and post‑operative care for children with oral restrictions. Her research integrates functional outcome measures with caregiver perspectives to strengthen evidence‑based clinical decision‑making.

Dr. Smart is an active member of international research and clinical networks, including the Committee for Interprofessional Research, Education and Ankyloglossia Science (CIREAS) within the International Consortium of oral Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP) and she is chair of the Australasian Society for Tethered Oral Tissue (ASTOT). She regularly presents at national and international conferences and supervises postgraduate research in infant feeding and tongue-tie.

Through her teaching, research, and clinical engagement, Dr. Smart is committed to advancing evidence‑informed, compassionate practice that supports both child outcomes and caregiver experience."