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The UCL Eastman Centre for Postgraduate Research (ECPgR)
- We provide support for postgraduate research students.
- We train researchers internationally to embed new knowledge in best practice addressing scientific and clinical research needs in the dental, medical and allied health sectors.
- We engage with industry in developing therapeutics, instruments and tools.
- We engage practitioners with novel ways of understanding diseases.
- We engage the public with the research undertaken at the Eastman and also novel ways of understanding and improving their conditions and wellbeing.
The ethos of the Centre is rooted in the UCL Grand Challenge of Global Health, which brings together UCL's immense multidisciplinary wealth of intellectual capital and international collaborations to provide innovative, workable solutions to global health at scale. The Centre also supports UCL's commitment to teaching and learning excellence through research-based education.
ECPgR Student Committee
The Student Committee consists of 8 elected student representatives (MD: 2, CR: 2 DDent: 2 and BTE: 2) and is chaired by the Departmental Graduate Tutor.
Committee aims
- To promote student participation in management activities.
- To advise the Management Committee of any issues relevant to training, research or general student experience through two of the ECPgR Student Committee members.
- To manage responsibilities for all student-led events, such as conferences, public engagement events and career fairs, etc.
Students are strongly encouraged to engage with the Student Committee. Its mandate is for one year. From the ECPgR Student Committee, two students are nominated to attend the ECPgR Steering Committee.
Current members
- Shailly Luthra
Shailly is a specialist Periodontist from India. She completed her postgraduate certificate in implantology and oral rehabilitation from New York University College of Dentistry, USA. She has worked in different charitable and private practice set ups in India. In 2018, she joined the Unit of Periodontology at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute as a full-time PhD student under the supervision of Professor Francesco D’Aiuto, Professor Andrew Smith and Dr Marco Orlandi. Her research activities revolve around 'Oro-Systemic Inflammatory Links', and her PhD project explores the association between invasive dental treatment and acute vascular events. Shailly represents the clinical research students (Periodontology). She is the lead PGR student representative for Eastman and also represents them at the ECPgR committee, SSCC and at the Faculty level. She is enjoying this experience since she is able to help her peers with any issue that needs to be raised and this opportunity also helps her meet new people and improve her soft skills.
- Kholod Alharthi
Having graduated from King Abdulaziz University with a Bachelor of Dental Medicine and Surgery in 2012, I have since gone on to gain experience in oral surgery. I worked as a teaching assistant at the department of Oral Surgery at Umm al-Qura University for 2 years. In 2019, I successfully completed my three-year training programme at the Eastman Dental Institute (EDI) and obtained an MClinDent in Oral Surgery. During this time, I was also awarded the Tri-Collegiate Membership in Oral Surgery (MOralSurg) and the Specialist Fellowship Diploma in Oral Surgery with Oral Medicine, RCSI FFD (OMOS). My postgraduate experience at the EDI enabled me to gain expert knowledge in oral surgery and made me realise just how much I enjoy research. I followed through on my passion for research and I am currently in the third year of my PhD project in Oral Surgery with supervision from Dr Rachel Leeson and Professor Stephano Fedele. I hope that by being a part of the ECPgR Student Committee, I will be able to help my colleagues by sharing ideas, motivations and through networking.
- Fiona Verisqa
Fiona completed both her dental and surgical training at Universitas Indonesia. While practicing as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, she is interested in combining reconstructive surgery and tissue engineering approaches to restore craniofacial defects. Fiona is currently working on a PhD project focusing on 3D printing for bone and cartilage regeneration under the supervision of Prof Jonathan Knowles and Dr Linh Nguyen, funded by an Indonesian government scholarship (LPDP). She is representing the Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering research students on the ECPgR. She hopes that she can help fellow students that are affected by the pandemic during their PhD.
- Marianne Dang
Research Student Administrator
As part of the institute’s academic support team, Marianne provides all administrative support to the PhD cohort at the Eastman and liaises with the UCL doctoral school for any training needs that PhD students may have. She is also first point of contact for any PhD enquiries at the Eastman. Marianne has previously worked at the IOE and Imperial College as Administrator and has been at the Eastman for many years. I look forward to supporting you throughout your student journey.
