About the Editors
Editor-in-Chief
Stephen Hancocks OBE, MA, BDS, LDS, DDPH, MCCD, Hon FFGDP RCS (Eng), British Dental Association, UK
Stephen is Editor-in-Chief of the BDJ portfolio. He is a dentist, writer, editor, publisher and performer. He was appointed OBE in 1997 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to the dental profession and subsequently has been awarded Honorary Membership of the British Dental Association, the American Dental Association and a place in the prestigious FDI’s List of Honour. He has an MA from the Central School of Speech and Drama, London in Advanced Theatre Practice and is also well known for chairing, lecturing and after-dinner speaking.
Editor
Professor Liz Kay MBE, BDS, MPH, FDS, RCPS, FDS RCS (Eng), FCGDent, PhD, University of Plymouth, UK
Liz was the founding Dean of the first new dental school in the UK for a generation. She developed an exciting new way of producing dental graduates, and introduced new methods of assessing dental undergraduate progress and competence. As Oral Health Topic Expert, she played a key part in the development of all the most recent NICE oral health guidelines and she developed and led an MBA in Healthcare. She was the only dental representative on the Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena Swan Committee. Liz is Immediate Past President of the British Dental Association and Vice Chair of the British Medical and Dental Student’s Trust. She is a member of the BDA's Health and Science, and Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committees. Liz is also a Non-Executive Director of Plymouth University Hospitals Trust, chairs the Trusts Organ and Tissue Donation Committee, and is a Board Member of the Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe. Most importantly, she is very proud to be the Editor of Evidence-Based Dentistry.
Editorial Board
Professor Kamran Ali, PhD, MMEd, BDS (Hons), FDSRCS, FCPS, FFDRCSI, FFDTEd, FDSRCPS, Qatar University, Qatar
Kamran Ali is a Professor of Oral Surgery and Dental Education at Qatar University. He is also an honorary Professor at the University of Plymouth, Peninsula Dental School, UK. Kamran is a Principal Fellow and a National Teaching Fellow of the Advance Higher Education UK. Kamran does research in Oral Surgery and Dental Education.
Professor Sarah R. Baker, PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS, FCGDent, University of Sheffield, UK
Sarah is a Professor of Psychology as applied to Dentistry at the University of Sheffield, UK. She is also a Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society and Honorary Professor at University College London. Sarah was an executive member of the Behavioural, Epidemiologic, and Health Services Research group of the IADR from 2010-19, serving as President from 2013 to 2014. She is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. She is also currently on the Editorial Board for the journal Community Dental Health. Sarah was awarded the prestigious 2018 Distinguished Scientist Award for Behavioural, Epidemiologic and Health Services Research by the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) which recognises outstanding achievements in the areas of behavioural science and health services research as they relate to dentistry. She has also been awarded the IADR Giddon Award for Distinguished Research in Behavioural Sciences in 2013, 2016 and 2022. Her central research interest is the examination of the psychological, social and behavioural factors which influence how individuals experience oral health conditions and dental treatment.
Professor Chris Deery, BDS, MSc, FDS RCS Ed, PhD, FDS(Paed Dent) RCS Ed, FDS RCS Eng, FHEA, University of Sheffield, UK
Chris is the Professor of Paediatric Dentistry and an Honorary Consultant at the University of Sheffield, UK.. Where he was Dean of the School of Clinical Dentistry from 2015 to 2023. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry for seven years from 2010. He has been the Chair of Dental Schools Council and the Consultants in Paediatric Dentistry Group UK. In all of these roles he is very involved in the improvement of dental education and dental care in the UK. His research interests include research in primary care, cariology premedication and research involving children.
Professor Gail Douglas, BMSc, BDS, PhD, MPH, FDS RCS(Ed), FDS(DPH) RCS(Ed), University of Leeds, UK
Gail is Professor of Dental Public Health at the University of Leeds/honorary consultant with Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust and the School of Dentistry's Director of Research and Innovation. Her dental degree was obtained at the University of Dundee, as were her Medical Psychology BMSc, MPH and PhD on the topic of secondary caries diagnosis and its health economics. Research experiences have included co-leading the FiCTION randomised clinical trial on managing children’s caries in primary care and being part of the INTERVAL trial team investigating recall intervals. Current research includes oral health initiatives for vulnerable groups. Main areas of research interest lie in caries diagnosis, prevention and treatment. She is also very involved in dental epidemiology, training and calibrating examiners for surveys and research worldwide.
Dr Fariha Hussain, BChD, PGCE, MClinDent (Pros), King’s College London, UK
Fariha has been teaching at King’s College London at undergraduate and postgraduate levels since 2008. As Deputy Programme Director for the Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics MClinDent course, she is responsible for course design, delivery and hands-on training of this Masters programme which is delivered by a blend of online and face-to-face teaching. Dr Hussain was awarded a Teaching Excellence Award in 2016. In her role as an education associate for the General Dental Council (UK), Dr Hussain has advised on quality assurance of dental education in universities and higher education institutions. She is involved in the provision of continuing professional development courses for general dentists in the UK and overseas.
Professor Zoe Marshman, BDS, MPH, DDPH, FDS (DPH) RCS, PhD, University of Sheffield, UK
Zoe Marshman joined the University of Sheffield in 2002 and currently works as a professor of dental public health and as an honorary consultant. Her main interest is person-centred dental research to improve the oral health and treatment experiences of children and their families. Zoe has experience of leading large multi-centred randomised controlled trials, integrating qualitative research into trials and conducting process evaluations. She has published widely on topics including oral health-related quality of life, oral health promotion and dental anxiety.
Professor Gerry McKenna, BDS, MFDS RCSEd, PhD, PgDipTLHE, FDS (Rest Dent) RCSEd, FHEA, FICD, FDTFEd, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Gerry is Professor of Oral Health Services Research and Gerodontology in Queen’s University Belfast and holds a consultant position in Restorative Dentistry with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. He is the current President of the British Society of Gerodontology. Gerry is the former president of both the Geriatric Oral Research Group and the Irish Division within the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), and former President of the European College of Gerodontology. His research interests are focused on improving care for older people and he is a principal investigator in the Centre for Public Health in Queen’s University Belfast where he leads Oral Health research. Gerry has published widely on gerodontology and his research is supported by the National Institute for Healthcare Research (NIHR), Dunhill Medical Trust, Erasmus + and the Economic and Social Research Council.
Reint Meursinge Reynders, DDS, MS, MSc, PhD, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Reint Meursinge Reynders has a private practice exclusively for orthodontics in Milan, Italy. He started his office in 1989. He is an Associate Editor for the Springer Nature journal Systematic Reviews and is a senior scientist in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Reint has a special interest in evidence-based health care, peer-reviewing, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and research integrity. He conducts research studies on clinical and meta-epidemiological issues with various groups in the USA, Italy and the Netherlands. He obtained his DDS and PhD from the University of Amsterdam. He received his orthodontic specialty degree and a MSc in oral biology from Northwestern University, Chicago. He has a MSc in evidence-based health care from the University of Oxford, UK.
Dr Mona Nasser, DDS, MSc, PhD, FHEA, University of Plymouth, UK
Mona Nasser is the Director of Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (PIHR) and a Professor in Clinical Epidemiology and Oral Health Research at University of Plymouth. She is currently (2023–2024) visiting fellow at the Berlin Institute of Health/QUEST Centre, working with Prof Ulrich Dirnagl's group on methods for appraising and synthesising in vitro studies in a systematic review. She is the co-founder and co-convenor of the Cochrane Priority Setting Methods Group and a founding member of the Evidence-based Research Network. Mona co-leads a research group around ‘Oral health services, workforce development and clinical epidemiology research group’ and leads the Artificial iNtelliGence and roboticS in denTistry (ANGST) lab. Her research uses an interdisciplinary approach to investigate complex challenges in dental care and similar environments along with designing, piloting, implementing and evaluating interventions to address the challenges. Her work currently focuses on two larger areas: 1) Dental Health Services Research with a focus on tailoring health services or care for vulnerable populations and technologies that can support that; and b) Space Medicine and Bioastronautics Research with areas of focus on impact of spaceflight environment on craniofacial and dental structures and using systematic reviews to inform operational procedures. This includes a collaborative project with members of Space Medicine Team called STARS.
Wayne Richards, BDS, MPhil, MFGDP, University of South Wales, UK
Wayne has been a general dental practitioner for 40 years as an associate, principal and foundation trainer. In the 1980s, Wayne returned to academic study in dental public health at King’s College London. The combination of general dental practice and dental public health made an interesting combination that did not fit comfortably within professional disciplines. However, the application of behavioural/public health principles to general dental practice delivery became the foundation of a practice career. For many years his research interest focused on data generated in general dental practice. Interests then became focused on the use of non-dental personnel within dental public health. Much of his historic published research is in tune with current issues in general dental practice.
Simon Threadgill, BDS (Hons), BSc, PGCE, Riverdale, Newcastle, UK
Simon is a locum dentist, working for a corporate dental group, Riverdale, in the high needs area of Hebburn. Originally from Liverpool, he trained as a medic at the University of Edinburgh but late into the degree realised, he did not really fancy becoming a doctor. After retraining as a high school teacher, he spent 12 years teaching science and A level Biology in Liverpool and Manchester. Simon graduated with a BDS (Hons) from Manchester in 2013. After spending two years as a dentist in Australia, Simon returned to the North East. Simon firmly believes that communication is an underrated skill in dentistry. Educating patients in oral hygiene, disease process and helping them to make good lifestyle and diet choices is key to preventing and mitigating oral and systemic disease as well the subsequent burden on healthcare.
Professor Analia Veitz-Keenan, DDS, FAGD, New York University, USA
Analia is Clinical Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology and Medicine and Director of Evidence-Based Dentistry at New York University (NYU), College of Dentistry. She teaches Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD) to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as coordinating and teaching EBD activities for Faculty. In 2011, she spearheaded a partnership between NYU Dentistry and the Cochrane Collaboration, which produces the Cochrane Reviews, considered the gold standard for evidence-based healthcare. She received the 2019 ADA/AADR Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD) Accomplished Faculty Award which is presented to educators and clinicians who have made significant contributions to implementing and advancing evidence-based dentistry. She contributes regularly with commentaries in both Evidence-Based Dentistry and the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice and is a practising general dentist in Brooklyn, New York.
Albert Yeung, BDS, MMedSci, MPHe, MPhil, MFDS RCPS, DDPH RCS, FFDRCSI (DPH), FDS (DPH) RCPS, FFPH, FCGDent, FHEA, ACIEA, NHS Lanarkshire, UK
Albert is a Consultant in Dental Public Health at NHS Lanarkshire in Scotland. He is an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer of the University of Glasgow. He is co-editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Dentistry (Second Edition). He is a Professional Adviser to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. He is a past President of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry. He is an examiner for General Dental Council’s Overseas Registration Examination, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and Royal College of Surgeons of England. His fields of interests include dental public health, fluorides, nutrition, paediatric dentistry and systematic reviews.
Professor Neeraj Gugnani, MDS (KGMC, Lko, India), MSc (Clinical Trials, LSHTM, UoL), PGCiLT, FAHE (UK), DAV (C) Dental College Yamunanagar, India
Neeraj Gugnani is working as Professor in the Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry at DAV (C) Dental College Yamunanagar, India. He was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Fellowship for research in cariology at University of Manchester, UK. He was also awarded the ORCA travel fellowship for ORCA congress at Lithuania, in 2011. He has completed an MSc (with Distinction) in Clinical Trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, UK. He is also a Fellow, Advance Higher Education, UK. His research interests include clinical trials, systematic reviews, paediatric and preventive dentistry, cariology, and periodontics. He is passionate about teaching and providing evidence-based care. Recently he developed interest in amalgamating the concepts of Artificial Intelligence with dentistry; and is also pursuing MSc in Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare from the University of Alcala, Spain.
Dr Parthasarathy Madurantakam, DDS, MDS, PhD, MOrthRCS (Ed), Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
Dr Madurantakam is an Associate Professor and Director of Research in the Department of General Practice at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, VA, USA. After completing his dental school and residency in orthodontics from India, he earned his Membership in Orthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh MOrthRCS (Ed). He followed his passion in research with a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (special focus on bone tissue engineering). His current research interests span the spectrum from basic sciences to clinical research. He has been involved with several initiatives of the American Dental Association including the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry and the Council on Scientific Affairs.
Erfan Shamsoddin, DDS, National Institute for Medical Research Development, Iran
Erfan is an evidence-based dental practitioner and researcher. He is currently a research associate at the National Institute for Medical Research Development (NIMAD), working with the Non-communicable Diseases Department. He has published in several respected journals and has collaborated with scientific collaborations such as Cochrane. His research mainly focuses on evidence-based practice and dental public health.
Dr Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa, DDS, PhD, University of Catania, Italy
Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa graduated from University of Catania, Italy in 2017 and obtained a PhD in Basic and Applied Biomedical Science at the same university in 2021. During her PhD research, she explored various aspects of dental and biomedical sciences, with a particular focus on oral medicine, endodontics, and conservative dentistry. Driven by a strong interest in evidence-based practices, she enhanced her skill set by participating in advanced training programmes and enrolling a second-level university master's course in Biostatistics and Epidemiological Methodology. These educational experiences specialised in evidence synthesis techniques, specifically in conducting systematic reviews and scoping reviews. She also serves as Associate Editor and reviewer for other esteemed journals indexed in dentistry subject areas.
