IATMJ Mission
TMJ disorders touch the work of TMJ Surgery, Orthodontics, Orthognathic Surgery, Craniomaxillofacial Surgery (CMF), Prosthodontics, CMD/Rehabilitation, and Imaging and Radiology. — yet for too long these communities have worked in isolation, without a shared home. Fragmented by specialty boundaries and regional practice differences, the field has lacked a single global voice. That changes with IATMJ.
IATMJ was founded to resolve that fragmentation.
We exist to raise the standard of TMJ care everywhere — through collaboration across specialties, world-class education, internationally recognized credentials, shared research, and innovation that patients can trust. Everything we do comes back to one thing: better outcomes for people living with TMJ disorders.
Our objectives
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Give TMJ diagnosis, surgery, reconstruction, and conservative management the status they deserve
as a coherent, evidence-based clinical discipline in their own right.
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Build the evidence base
publishing consensus statements, clinical guidelines, and shared diagnostic protocols that practitioners everywhere can rely on.
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Open a clear path to recognized credentials
a tiered, competency-based qualification ladder designed for all seven disciplines and respected globally.
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Bring every discipline to the same table
TMJ surgeons, orthodontists, orthognathic surgeons, CMF surgeons, prosthodontists, rehabilitation specialists, and imaging experts working together as one community.
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Power the research
multicenter studies, a global outcome registry, and the kind of real-world evidence that moves the field forward.
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Speak for the field
engaging as a peer with AO CMF, SORG, EACMFS, IAOMS, AAOMS, and the regulators and health systems that shape how TMJ care is delivered and funded.
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Make great TMJ care accessible everywhere
with fees adjusted for purchasing power so that geography and income never determine who can learn, qualify, or contribute.
Meet the Team
IATMJ was founded by people who have spent careers at the forefront of TMJ care —
clinically, academically, and institutionally. Here is the team behind it.
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Ulrich Joos
Germany
Honorary Founding President
Prof. Ulrich Joos is Co-Founder and Honorary President of the International Association of Temporomandibular Joint (IATMJ). As Founder and President of the German Surgical Foundation (DCS/GSF), Scientific Director of the International Medical College (IMC) at TU Dresden, and Emeritus Head of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Münster, he brings exceptional academic leadership and international credibility to the Association. Through his extensive global network and distinguished career, Prof. Joos guides IATMJ's academic standards, educational initiatives, credentialing framework, and strategic partnerships, helping establish the Association as a leading international authority in TMJ surgery and education.
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Prof. Dr. Chi Yang
China
Founding President
As Founding President of IATMJ, Prof. Yang provides the scientific vision and clinical leadership that drive the Association's global development. He founded IATMJ to unite experts worldwide and advance excellence in TMJ surgery, research, education, and patient care.
Prof. Yang is Chairman of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, one of the world's leading TMJ centers. A pioneer in minimally invasive TMJ surgery, endoscopic disc repositioning, and customized joint prostheses, he has performed thousands of TMJ procedures and leads a national alliance of more than 150 hospitals.
Through his innovation, international collaboration, and commitment to education, Prof. Yang continues to shape the future of TMJ surgery and strengthen IATMJ as the global voice of the specialty.
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Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Julio Acero Sanz
Spain
Vice President & Regional Chair, Europe
As Vice President and Regional Chair for Europe, Prof. Julio Acero Sanz provides strategic leadership for IATMJ's European network, strengthening collaboration among leading centers, professional societies, and academic institutions across the continent. Through his extensive international experience and distinguished leadership within IAOMS and EACMFS, he helps advance the Association's mission in education, scientific exchange, clinical standards, and multidisciplinary TMJ care.
Prof. Acero plays a key role in fostering international cooperation, promoting evidence-based practice, and expanding research and training opportunities throughout Europe. His leadership helps connect European expertise with the global IATMJ community, supporting the development of consensus guidelines, educational programs, and collaborative initiatives that advance TMJ surgery and patient care worldwide.
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Prof. Ajoy Roychoudhury
India
Vice President & Regional Chair, Asia
Prof. Ajoy Roychoudhury is Professor and Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India's leading center for total TMJ replacement and advanced maxillofacial surgery.
A Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and the Indian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Prof. Roychoudhury is internationally recognized for his contributions to TMJ ankylosis management, transport disc distraction osteogenesis, orthognathic surgery, and mandibular reconstruction. He has authored more than 230 scientific publications and has received numerous honors, including the Gold Medal from Indore University.
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Prof. Dr. Lisa Pan
Canada
Secretary-General & Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Lisa Pan is a distinguished international academic executive, medical education expert, and global higher education strategist with over twenty years of leadership experience in international university development, academic governance, and healthcare education. Throughout her career, she has established extensive collaborations among universities, teaching hospitals, professional societies, and governmental agencies across Europe, Asia, and North America, facilitating the education and training of hundreds of future healthcare professionals. As Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer of IATMJ, she oversees the Association's strategic planning, international partnerships, governance, educational programs, and member affairs, providing the organizational leadership and global connectivity that support IATMJ's mission to advance TMJ science, education, and patient care worldwide.
A global association, locally delivered
IATMJ is genuinely global — but we believe that the best education, congresses, and community-building happen locally. So while the Association sets one consistent standard worldwide, each region has its own leadership, its own events, and its own membership community, developing at its own pace.
Each region is led by a Vice-President who also serves as Regional Chair, sitting on the Executive Board. As the association grows, regions can establish their own Certified Education Centers and national chapters.
Asia-Pacific — Founding Region
Home to some of the world's highest-volume TMJ centers, the Asia-Pacific region is where IATMJ was born. Anchored by Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Mahidol University Bangkok, the University of Malaya, and the University of Hong Kong, this region leads clinical innovation and training scale. The inaugural IATMJ World Congress takes place in Bangkok in 2026.
Founding President: Prof. Dr. Chi Yang (China)
Vice President & Regional Chair: Prof. Ajoy Roychoudhury (India)
How IATMJ is built
IATMJ is built to last — with a governance structure that keeps scientific independence at its center and gives members real authority over the direction of the Association.
At the heart of IATMJ is its General Assembly — the supreme governing body, made up of the Association's officers, Founding Members and Active Members. The General Assembly confirms who joins, decides the principal affairs of the Association, and convenes at every Congress, keeping governance close to the membership.
The Association's legal, financial, and contractual work is handled by International Society of TMJ Limited — a company limited by guarantee, registered in Hong Kong SAR (Co. No. 80362725, incorporated 11 May 2026). It exists purely to serve the Association's mission: it takes no profit and distributes nothing to members.
Credentialing and qualification assessments are independently administered by the German Surgical Foundation (GSF) — keeping the people who set the standards completely separate from those who award the credentials. Online learning is delivered through the International Medical College (IMC) at TU Dresden.
Partnering with Societies, Academia, and Clinicians
IATMJ believes that meaningful progress in TMJ care comes through collaboration. We work alongside established professional societies, academic institutions, and clinical partners globally — and welcome connections with any organization dedicated to advancing research, education, and patient care.
Industry partners are welcome to support our education and congresses — but their involvement stops there. No sponsor, device company, or commercial partner has any say in our guidelines, our credentialing decisions, or the accreditation of training centers. That independence is non-negotiable.