Professor Scully (centre) and guests

Professor Crispian Scully CBE hosted a reception on 1 February 2006 to mark 2005 as having been another exceptional year for the UCL Eastman Dental Institute (EDI). The Institute attracted over £2 million in research grants, with the figure set to rise in 2006 with a number of grants already notified. The year also recorded the Institute's greatest number of PhD degrees awarded, with 14 candidates successfully defending their theses. EDI academics' research was published in top quality journals such as the Journal of Dental Research, Cell, Science, American Journal of Human Genetics and Nature Structural Biology. Staff published more than 100 original research papers.

Researchers filed another new patent application for the novel treatment of infectious diseases, and a number of products developed out of Eastman inventions are due to be available in 2006. Education was equally impressive. Fifty-four Masters students graduated.

A record number of dentists enrolled on the popular UCL Eastman Diploma in Restorative Dental Practice which will include a certificate and Masters option in future years. More than 2,500 dentists attended Eastman CPD short courses, certificate or diploma programmes. The Institute also introduced eight new university accredited, part-time, certificate/diploma programmes in Special Care Dentistry, Endodontics, Sedation and Pain Management, Implantology and Advanced Implantology and Aesthetic Dentistry.

An outreach clinic has been established to facilitate third year specialist training. Distance learning initiatives took off in 2005 with registered users for the British Dental Journal Online CPD approaching 10,000 (one third of UK registered dentists) and the launch of an Online Programme in Restorative Dentistry run by Michael Wise. 2005 had also been a good year for establishing new collaborations. EDI hopes to formalise discussions with Chinese universities and has enjoyed successful existing collaborations with the London Colleges such as KCL and QMW dental schools. EDI currently hosts visiting academics from a number of countries including Italy, Spain and Switzerland.