In Memoriam: Prof. Alexandre Mersel

Dr. Alexandre Mersel

The global oral health fraternity mourns the passing of Prof. Alexandre Mersel, an eminent clinician, academician, and humanitarian, who left us in late August. He was a distinguished professional, an inspiring teacher, and a valued colleague whose life was devoted to advancing dentistry with compassion and scholarly excellence.

Born in Strasbourg, France, Prof. Mersel graduated from the University of Lyon and specialized in Prosthodontics at the Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem. His lifelong commitment to gerodontology established him as an authority in the care of elderly and medically compromised patients. His academic career included appointments as Associate Prof. at Hadassah, Head of Removable Prosthodontics and Gerodontics at the Haifa Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, Director of the Jerusalem Geriatric Dental Center, and Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Universities of Marseilles and Paris V.

Prof. Mersel played a pivotal leadership role in organized dentistry. Within the Fédération Dentaire Internationale, he served in several capacities. He founded the European College of Gerodontology and co-founded the International Association of Gerodontology, significantly shaping education and policy in this field.

A Fellow of the Academy of Dentistry International (ADI), Prof. Mersel, exemplified the Academy’s ideals through sustained volunteerism, mentorship, and academic service. He served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Global Oral Health, contributing thoughtfully to its scholarly mission. He authored over 90 scientific publications, and his final work, Oral Rehabilitation for Compromised and Elderly Patients (Springer), reflects his enduring commitment to patient-centered care.

Prof. Alexandre Mersel’s legacy endures through the countless professionals he mentored and the global initiatives he helped build. He will be remembered with respect, gratitude, and affection by the ADI community and the wider dental world.