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Research esteem

Research/infrastructure

Excellent research facilities are available at the Eastman. The Eastman has over 100 research staff on site and over 1,500 square metres of modern, well-equipped research laboratories. The facilities include fully equipped molecular biology laboratories, microbiology laboratories and tissue and microbial cell culture. The list is long, reflecting the sophisticated methodologies of the full range of contemporary basic and applied sciences. There is state-of-the-art equipment including an ion chromatography system, flow cytometer, automated DNA sequencer, protein micropurification systems (including SMART, Biosys 2000 work station and Phast Gel systems), MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer and combined FTIR and FT-Raman spectrometer. The range of microscopes ranges from scanning and transmission electron microscopes, a confocal laser scanning microscope and an atomic force microscope. Additionally we have an Instron mechanical testing machine, Proscan 3D laser scanning system for wear and erosion measurements and various lasers and controlled environment chambers.

Building upon the re-equipment of 1996-2001 and its strategy of ensuring provision of contemporary research facilities UCL-EDI secured funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Birth Defects Foundation, EFFORT and University Central Research and Development Committee (CRDC) to acquire equipment for state-of-art microscopy, spectroscopy, ion chromatography and digital surface photogrammetry, in order to maintain research at the cutting edge. Furthermore since 2001, UCL-EDI research facilities have been further enhanced via grant-funded upgrading (from the Institute of Cloth Workers Company and Eastman Foundation For Oral Research and Training [ EFFORT]) of the BTE laboratories (e.g. improved containment facilities), and MD laboratories (e.g. enhanced to Health and Safety Executive-approved Containment Level 2 standards).

Research Funding

Research income featured in RA4 totals £9.4m. The value of research grants and contracts awarded during the equivalent period was £14.8m ( BTE = £6.650m and MD = £8.150m). Both of these totals exclude CBRC funding and predecessor NHS funding for research and development to UCLHT . The value of grants awarded is 33% higher than the value of research income featured in RA4. This is because grants awarded included sums allocated to co-investigators not based at EDI and reflects the the strength of EDI's research collaborations and the multi-disciplinary nature of the research conducted.

The average annual research income per head of FTE category A staff has increased by 41% over RAE 2001.

The percentage of research grant income from peer-reviewed sources (i.e UK Research Councils and UK based Charities) has substantially increased to 63% for the period 2001- 2007, from 50% in RAE 2001. Research grant funding has been secured from prestigious international funding bodies (e.g. NIH, EU), national funding bodies(e.g. BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC) and charities (e.g. Wellcome Trusts). Grants awarded have included:

  • Major pan-London Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) grant (EDI, UCL, Imperial College and QMUL: Tissue Bioreactor Science - £ 1.12 million)
  • European Union Framework grants (both FP5 & FP6); EU (NUTRIDENT - £1.58 million)
  • European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Fellowship
  • Arthritis Research Campaign Programme Grant (Bacterial infections of bone and joints - £0.6 million)
  • Industrial grants to support BBSRC and EPSRC CASE (Co-operative Awards in Science and Engineering) studentships
  • 5 Fellowships, including EPSRC Advance Fellowship, EU Marie Curie Fellowship and MRC Fellowship

Pump-priming funding has been gained after peer review from local funding agencies (e.g. Eastman Foundation for Oral Research and Training [EFFORT], and UCL/UCLHT Central Research and Development Committee [CRDC]) which has been used to support early career researchers, studentships and infrastructure, as well as underpinning the development and sustainability of specific research programmes (e.g. systemic impact of periodontitis).

EDI collaborative research with industry continues to be strong by virtue of funded collaborative studies (e.g. Cell Factors, Straumann, GlaxoSmithKline Isolagen, Smith and Nephew, Colgate, CombinatorX, Ondine Biopharma, Optiva, Philips Oral Health Care, and Procter and Gamble) that have led to publications, patents or UK Research Council CASE awards. Additionally staff have collaborated in industrial-funded studies within UCL Analgesia Centre at EDI (e.g. Epien, Focus Therapeuticals, GW Pharma and Pfizer) having previously collaborated with SCIREX Corporation, USA.

By virtue of consultancies with >10 industrial companies appropriate collaborations are in place for sustained exploitation of EDI research findings.

Research Organisation

In UCL a single Medical School was created in 1998 through amalgamation of the UCL and Royal Free Hospital Medical Schools. By 2001 UCL biomedicine consisted of two faculties (Clinical Sciences - FCS and Life Sciences - FLS) and five recently incorporated research institutes (including UCL Eastman Dental Institute (UCL-EDI)) of which four were separately submitted to RAE 2001. Despite the high gradings of the UCL units in RAE 2001 there was a perceived need for greater organisational coherence and a more integrated research effort. A period of intense consultation culminating in a formal review by an international panel (Chair: Sir Keith Peters) in 2005 resulted in the FCS and research institutes being amalgamated into a single Faculty in 2006 (Faculty of Biomedical Sciences - FBS). This composed of 13 thematically based research divisions (including dentistry). The thematic programmes are aligned, where appropriate, with partner NHS Trusts. A further review followed the strategic decision to retain an independent FLS in 2006. As a result the FLS was re-organised into two divisions. The FBS and FLS constitute one of UCL's three Schools - the School of Medical and Life Sciences - created to foster interdisciplinarity and a coherent medical curriculum. MRC has selected UCL as its partner for the re-development of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). Plans in development since 2004 will result in a new combined NIMR-UCL research institute. UCL was selected because of complementary research strengths to those at NIMR and the co-location with UCL's excellence in social science, law, philosophy, mathematics and the physical, chemical and engineering sciences.

UCL-EDI is in UCL Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, whose Strategy Group establishes research policy (the Dean & Director of UCL-EDI is a member). The Eastman Strategy Board (ESB; chaired by the Dean of UCL-EDI) determines the coordinated strategy for Research & Development and Education in UCL-EDI and its allied hospital ( Eastman Dental Hospital [EDH]). Research is represented on ESB by the Directors of Research Strategy, Research Operations, Clinical Research and the leads of the 2 Research Divisions - Microbial Diseases (MD) and Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering (BTE). Research strategy and operations are defined by the Eastman Research Committee (ERC), the committee being supported by the UCL-EDI Administrative Team (Health and Safety, Finance, Information, and Information Technology services). Coordination of operational matters is directed by the Eastman Operations Committee (EOC), chaired by the Dean and attended by the Directors of Research Operations and Educational Operations, EDH General Manager and the Head of Finance/Director of Administration of UCL-EDI. Communication of strategy, operations and activities are assured by an effective intranet, weekly meetings of research leads, and quarterly meetings of all UCL-EDI staff. Potential research collaborations are optimised through approximately weekly research presentations by International, National or internal researchers.

Research Esteem

In the past 6 years, UCL-EDI staff have achieved significant international and national esteem by virtue of, for example:

Advisers on health policy

  • American Academy of Oral Medicine
  • American Academy of Periodontology
  • British Council
  • Link Co-ordinator for the Higher Education Links scheme
  • Development Partnerships in Higher Education and England-Africa Partnership programmes
  • British Standards Institute
  • Department of Health
  • National Centre for Clinical Excellence
  • Dental Recall Guidelines
  • DH National Oral Health Assessment Clinical Pathway
  • DH NICE Improving Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancers
  • DH NICE CJD Guidance Steering Group
  • DH Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance
  • DH Workforce Review Panel for Dental Specialities
  • European Code against Cancer Executive
  • European Federation of Periodontology
  • International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)
  • Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
  • NHS Health Technology Assessment (cost effectiveness of screening for cancer in primary care)

Grant committee membership

  • Action Medical Research
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
  • Arthritis and Rheumatism Council Programme Grant Committee
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
  • Engineering and Physical Science Research Council Peer Review College
  • HEFCE/NHS Clinical Senior Lectureships
  • Medical Research Council College of Experts
  • Clinical Trials Cross-Board Committee
  • Medical Research Council of Canada
  • Muscular Dystrophy Group
  • NHS R+D
  • National Institutes of Health USA
  • Wellcome Trust

Enabling activities

  • British Cardiac Society Working party on Endocarditis Prophylaxis
  • British Medical Laser Association Secretary
  • British Orthodontic Society
  • British Prosthodontic Conference Chairman
  • British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Endocarditis Working Party
  • British Society of Periodontology Council
  • European Academy of Oral Medicine Council
  • European Society for Biomaterials Conferences Member
  • European Society of Endodontology Research Committee
  • International Academy of Oral Oncology Executive
  • International Association for Dental Research, Abstracts Review Board
  • Pan-European Federation Organising committee
  • President of Education Research Group
  • British Division Oral Microbiology and Immunology Group Committee
  • International Association of Oral Malodour Conference co-organisers
  • International Federation of Dental Hygiene Conference
  • International Conference of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine co-organiser
  • 10th International Congress on Oral Cancer co-organiser
  • International Meeting on Molecular Chaperones co-organiser
  • International Research Panel for Cornelia de Lange syndrome
  • International Research Panel for Smith-Magenis syndrome
  • International Team for Oral Implantology (ITI) Head
  • National Photodynamic Therapy Administration Board Executive
  • Russian Academy of Sciences
  • World Health Organization Collaborating Centre co-directors
  • Over The Counter Products working group
  • University of Jordan and Academy of Finland
  • Universities of Nantes, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Edinburgh

Presidents and presidents elect of professional bodies

  • British Society for Disability and Oral Health
  • British Society for Oral Medicine
  • Endodontic Teaching and Research Foundation
  • European Association of Oral Medicine
  • International Association of Oral Medicine

Service on boards of academic journals

International Journals

Editorships

  • Archives of Oral Biology
  • Biofilms
  • International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
  • Journal of Biomaterials Applications
  • Journal of Clinical Periodontology
  • Journal of Periodontal Research
  • Oral Diseases
  • Oral Oncology

Assistant and Associate Editorships

  • Advances in Fluorine Science
  • British Dental Journal
  • European Journal of Orthodontics
  • International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
  • International Journal of Prosthodontics
  • Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine
  • Oral Diseases
  • Oral Oncology
  • Orphanet
  • Prosthodontic Research and Practice

Guest Editorships

  • Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
  • Periodontology 2000

Editorial Board Memberships

  • Acta-Oto-Laryngologica
  • Archives of Oral Biology
  • British Dental Journal
  • British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • BMC Oral Health
  • Cell Biochemistry and Function
  • China Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Clinical Oral Implants Research
  • Evidence Based Dentistry
  • Endodontic Practice
  • Inflammation Research
  • International Journal of Dental Hygiene
  • International Journal of Endodontics
  • International Journal of Prosthodontics
  • International Endodontic Journal
  • Journal of Biomaterials Applications
  • International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
  • Journal of Dentistry
  • Journal of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • Journal of Orthodontics
  • Journal of Clinical Periodontology
  • Journal of Dentistry
  • Journal of Periodontal Research ad hoc committee
  • Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine
  • Journal of Dental Research
  • Journal of Periodontal Research
  • Microbiology
  • Oral Biosciences & Medicine
  • Oral Diseases
  • Oral Oncology

Advisory Board

  • British Dental Journal
  • Cochrane Collaboration
  • Oral Health Group
  • Endodontology
  • European Journal of Orthodontics
  • Evidence Based Dentistry
  • Journal of Endodontics

Invited key research speakers

International

Congress of Head & Neck Surgeons Societies (Scully)
European Academy of Oral Medicine (Scully)
European Institute of Oncology (Scully)
European Association of Dental Public Health (Scully)
European Perspectives in Head and Neck Cancer (Scully)
European Society of Endodontology (Gulabivala)
European Union Biofilms workshop (Wilson)
Europerio (Needleman, Scully)
Federation Dentaire Internationale (Gulabivala, Scully)
International Academy of Oral Oncology (Scully)
International Agency for Research in Cancer (Scully)
International Association for Dental Research (Bedi, Hammond, Needleman)
International Association for Disability and Oral Health (Scully)
International Association of Oral Pathology and Medicine (Porter, Scully)
International College of Dentists (Scully)
International College of Prosthodontists (Hobkirk)
1st International Clostridium difficile Symposium (Mullany)
9 th and 10 th International Congresses on Oral Cancer (Porter, Scully)
6th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer (Scully)
International Conference on Tropical Oral Heath (Scully)
International Federation of Endodontic Associations (Gulabivala)
International Federation of Head and Neck Oncology Societies (Scully)
International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium (Scully)
International Lung Cancer Molecular Biomarkers Workshop (Scully)
International Society for Disability and Oral Health (Scully)
International Society for Clinical Biostatistics (Needleman)
International Symposium on Photodynamic Diagnosis and Therapy in Clinical Practice (Wilson)
National Institutes of Health USA (Hammond)
Organisation for Research on Caries; ORCA (Scully)
Pasteur Institute (Mullany), Phillips Oral Health Care European Symposia (Scully)
Wellcome Research Centre (Hammond)
World Association for Laser Therapy Congress (Wilson)
World Congress in Dermatology (Scully), World Congresses on Haemophilia (Scully)

National

American Academy of Prosthodontics (Hobkirk, Setchell),
British Dental Association Wystan Peach Lecture (Scully),
British Society for Disability and Oral Health (Scully),
British Society for Periodontology (Scully),
Canadian Les Journees Dentaires Internationales (Scully),
Dutch Society of Endodontology (Gulabivala),
Danish Society of Periodontology (Needleman),
Finnish Delta Society Apollonia (Scully),
French Dental Association (Gulabivala),
German Society of Periodontology (Needleman)
Japanese Society of Oral Mucosa (Porter), Malaysian Paediatric Association (Roberts)
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Hobkirk, Scully)
Royal College of Surgeons England (Scully)
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Scully)
Royal Society of Medicine Joint Meeting of Dermatology and Odontology (Scully)
Spanish Society of Preventive Dentistry (Scully)
Swiss Endodontic Society (Gulabivala)
Swiss Society of Periodontology (Needleman)
University of Belgrade Memorial Lecture (Scully)
University of Helsinki, Distinguished visiting Professor (Scully)
University of Oxford Memorial Lecture (Scully)

Research prizes and awards

Staff

  • American Academy of Periodontology Clinical Research Award (Brett, 2005)
  • British Orthodontic Society Northcroft Lecturer Award (Hunt, 2005)
  • British Society for the Study of Prosthetic Dentistry Gold Medal (Hobkirk, 2005)
  • British Society for the Study of Prosthetic Dentistry Schottlander Prize (Howell, 2005)
  • British Society of Periodontology Wilfred Fish Prize (Brett, 2005)
  • European Academy of Oral Medicine Research Prize (Fedele, 2006)
  • European Association of Osseointegration (Donos, 2004)
  • Institute of Materials, Minerals and Materials, Elected Fellow (Knowles, 2006)
  • International Association of Paediatric Dentistry J Morita Prize (Bloch-Zupan, 2003)
  • International Association for Dental Research Systematic Review Prize(s) (Moles, Needleman, 2003 and 2004)
  • Quintessence Publishing Clinical Research Award (D'Aiuto, 2005)
  • Royal College of Surgeons of England Charles Tomes Medal (Speight, 2003)
  • and Webb Johnson Medal (Scully, 2004)
  • Royal Society of Chemistry Elected Chartered Scientist (Knowles, 2006), and Elected Fellow (Knowles, 2006)
  • Royal Society of Medicine Colyer Prize (Needleman)
  • Royal Society of Medicine and Society of Authors New Authored Book Prize, (Scully, 2004)
  • University of Athens, Honorary DSc (Scully, 2005)
  • Swiss Society of Periodontology Hans-R Muhlemann Research Prize (Brett, 2005)

Students

  • British Endodontic Society poster prize (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, supervisors- Gulabivala/Spratt)
  • British Orthodontic Society 3M/University Teaching Group Prize (2004, supervisors- Lewis/Hunt)
  • British Orthodontic Traders And Laboratories Award prize (2002, 2003, supervisor- Cunningham) and Research Poster prize (2002, supervisors- Lewis/Hunt)
  • British Society of Periodontology Wilfred Fish Prize (2004, supervisor- Griffiths)
  • British Society of Restorative Dentistry Research Prize (2002, 2004, supervisor- Setchell)
  • European Orthodontic Society Houston Research Scholarships (2004, supervisor- Cunningham 2004, supervisors- Lewis/Hunt)
  • Italian Society of Periodontology Henry M Goldman Prize (2005, supervisors- Brett/Griffiths)
  • Medical Research Council Max Perutz Essay Prize (2003, supervisor- Henderson)
  • Royal Society of Medicine President's Prizes (2003 supervisor- Ashley; 2004, supervisor- Laurell)

Page last modified on 25 oct 11 08:32