Dr. drg. Retno Ardhani, M.Sc., completed her undergraduate and doctoral studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). She received scholarships throughout her education, including the Supersemar and Bank Indonesia scholarships during her undergraduate studies, the Listerine Award for her dentistry degree, a scholarship from the Bureau of Foreign Cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Culture during her master's program, and the LPDP scholarship for her doctoral studies. After becoming a dentist in 2009, she began engaging in research in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, which piqued her interest. In 2010, while pursuing her master's degree, she had the opportunity to conduct research at the Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University. This led to her undertaking a joint supervision Ph.D. program between UGM, Kyoto University, and Kyushu University, under the guidance of Prof. Ika Dewi Ana, Prof. Yasuhiko Tabata, and Prof. Kunio Ishikawa, and she earned her doctoral degree in 2017.

An alumna of the 2023 ASEA-UNINET postdoctoral program from OEAD, Austria, she currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Dentistry. In the evenings, she practices as a general dentist at the Public Service Unit, Dental and Oral Hospital, UGM, to continue contributing her medical expertise to the community.

Her belief in the importance of collaboration to address national issues sustainably fuels her enthusiasm for multidisciplinary partnerships. In 2019, she conducted collaborative research with the Center for Leather, Rubber, and Plastics (BBKKP) of the Ministry of Industry, the Faculty of Medicine at Atmajaya Catholic University of Indonesia, and the University of Freiburg, Germany. In 2020, she initiated joint research with BBKKP and the Center for Ceramics (BBK) of the Ministry of Industry, the Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and the University at Buffalo, USA. Subsequently, in 2022, she began collaborations with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the University of Life Sciences and Natural Resources (BOKU), Austria, and CV. Indoraya Internasional. This extensive collaboration underscores her lifelong commitment to learning how to communicate science effectively, bridging the gaps between researchers, academics, the public, government, and industry.

Throughout her career, Retno Ardhani has held various positions, including Head of the Publication Unit, Head of the Infrastructure and Procurement Services Unit, Head of the Preclinical Laboratory and Skills Lab, and most recently, Head of the Master's Program in Clinical Dental Science until 2023. To support her duties, she continually strives to enhance her competencies. She holds a certification in government procurement of goods and services, which aids her role as Academic and Equipment Coordinator for the Development of the Dental Learning Center (2018-2023) and as a member of the procurement committee for the JICA IP-576 Project under an International Bidding scheme.