Professor Kay receives MBE

Professor Liz Kay (pictured), Foundation Dean, Peninsula Dental School at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry (PUPSMD), has received her Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace hosted by HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

Professor Kay received her MBE in recognition of her services to dental education and is also on the BDJ Editorial Board.

Services to the profession

On 7 June Dr Amarjit Gill is being awarded an FDS for his services to the profession from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Student oral cancer funding

Michael Daldry, a first year dental student from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, has received an award of £1,000 from the Peninsula Medical Foundation to pursue a research project to produce a 3D model to grow tumour-like cells to better understand a common type of mouth cancer – potentially opening the door to treatments and therapies.

BASCD President

Professor Rebecca Harris of the University of Liverpool became the 44th President of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) at the Presidential Spring Scientific meeting in Queen's College, Oxford University, in April.

Deputy Editor

Professor David Moles, Professor of Oral Health Services Research and Director of Postgraduate Education and Research at Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Plymouth, has been appointed Deputy Editor of the journal Community Dental Health.

Best undergraduate dentist

Edward Newton, a student at Birmingham University, has been crowned the UK's best undergraduate dentist. The dental clinical skills competition is run by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Dentsply Sirona and puts entrants through a gruelling series of tests. Second place was awarded to Marc Harrington from Queen's University Belfast and third place to Stewart McLean who studies at the University of Central Lancashire. Edward wins an expenses paid four-day trip to Dentsply Sirona's Restorative Forum in Konstanz, Germany in June 2017.

Athena SWAN award

Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has achieved a Athena SWAN Silver Award in recognition of its efforts in fostering a culture of equality, fairness and equal opportunity. The Athena SWAN Charter, part of the Equality Challenge Unit, was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research.