By Pip Thomas
Over the years I have tried to balance the news of what is going on in the Dental School in the form of administrative changes, achievements of and honours won by staff and students together with extra-curricular activities of the undergraduates, which I felt would keep the postgraduates feeling involved with the School.
Paul Coulthard has been Dean of the Dental School for five years and for the last year has been Faculty Vice-Dean and head of the School of Medical Sciences which consists of the research institutes of Cancer Sciences, Cardiovascular Sciences, Developmental Biology & Medicine, Diabetes, Endocrinology & Gastroenterology, and also the Medical School as well as our Dental School.
This is the first time, since Prof J R Moore, that a Dental School Dean has become head of the Medical School. Paul, however, is moving on to a new role in January 2019 as Dean and Director of the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London.
During the last five years he has travelled extensively, working tirelessly to consolidate the international status of Manchester Dental School by strengthening ties with American universities, and forging new ones in Brazil, Hong Kong, China and Japan, which has led to growing international co-operation in teaching and research. Students have also visited Boston (US), Tokyo & Niigata (Japan) and Uganda this year; these visits, which have been part funded by Somanda, are elaborated on in the Dean’s report. We wish Paul well and every success in his new position.
In Paul’s place as Dean of the Dental School we welcome Anne-Marie Glenny. Anne-Marie is not a clinical dentist but is the highly respected Professor of Health Sciences Research.
Having obtained her Master of Medical Sciences degree in Sheffield in 1993 she gained her PhD in “Evidence Based Dentistry” in Manchester in 2005, was made Senior Lecturer in 2008, Reader in 2012 and Professor of Health Sciences Research in 2013.
She has a strong international reputation for research excellence and has secured over £7 million in research funding. Her recent research collaborations include: Irish Department of Health; Public Health England; CDC US; Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council; Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme and the British Association of Oral Surgeons.
She continues to teach research methods and evidence based practice both within the University of Manchester and externally for organisations such as: the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh; Cochrane UK and New York University. She is a very worthy successor to Paul.
As well as their academic achievements the students also support many charities, both local and national in many ways, but special mention must be made of Ryan Cooper who ran a 90km ultra-marathon in South Africa in 11hrs and 23 mins, raising over £1500 for the Cleft Lip and Palate Association. The sporting achievement of the year, however, must surely be the international skiing performance of student Georgia Hallett. Certainly a name to look out for in the future.