FDS Board

Orthodontics

Dr Eckhardt is a highly experienced Consultant Orthodontist and Aesthetic Practitioner. Her particular orthodontic interest is in the management of facial deformity working with maxillofacial surgeons and is the lead orthodontist for cleft lip and palate in Wales. She has an interest in facial aesthetics and also has a master's degree in aesthetic medicine with distinction from Queen Mary University of London. She is a clinical senior lecturer on the aesthetic medicine master's degree at Queen Mary University of London. Dr Eckhardt lectures nationally and internationally in the fields of orthodontics and aesthetic medicine. She also has a particular interest in postgraduate training and assessment and was appointed as an MOrth examiner in 2008, following this she was elected as the Chair of the panel of MOrth examiners and is currently the Chair of the Board of MOrth examiners for RCS England and RCPS Glasgow. In this role she has established overseas MOrth examinations in Kuala Lumpur, Chennai and Cairo. In addition, she is the director of assessments for the Aesthetic Medicine MSc at Queen Mary University of London. She was appointed Dean of the Faculty in June 2023.

Professor Sondos Albadri holds the position of Professor and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry and is the Vice Dean for Research and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Liverpool. After graduation she moved to the UK to continue her studies. She completed her PhD at Queen's University Belfast and her specialist training in Manchester before joining the University of Liverpool as a clinical lecturer in 2008. She works clinically as a consultant at both the Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Sondos' research focuses on improving the quality of clinical outcomes, enhancing patient experience, and optimising care pathways, with a special interest in dental trauma and children with complex health conditions. She leads the NIHR dental integrated academic training in Liverpool and holds various leadership roles, including her current position as Lead Examiner of the Tri-collegiate Membership in Paediatric Dentistry. She served as the President of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry in 2021/2022 and has been a member of the society's executive board since 2015. Sondos is the UK Councillor for the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry and member of their educational committee. Sondos was elected a member of the Board in 2023.

Orthodontics

Andrew DiBiase is a hospital consultant based in Kent. He undertook his undergraduate training at Kings College, London and his postgraduate training at the Royal London Hospital and the Charles Clifford Dental School, Sheffield. Since his appointment, he has developed an extensive research portfolio, is part of the UK Orthodontic National Clinic Trials Network and has received numerous awards and grants, including the Helen E. Dewel award from the American Association of Orthodontists, which he has won twice. His research interests include the clinical effectiveness of appliances and the psychosocial impact of malocclusion. Andrew also runs a successful private practice and has published and lectured internationally. Andrew has published over 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored three textbooks. He is the current secretary of the British Orthodontic Society, an active member of the Angle Society of Europe and is undertaking a PhD in psychology.

Professor Paul Ashley qualified as a dentist at the University of Manchester Dental School in 1991 and went on to complete his PhD there in 1997. Subsequently he took up a post at the Eastman Dental Institute in London where he has worked since. He is now Academic Lead for the Paediatric Dentistry Unit at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute and an Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry at the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals. He is Director of the Professional Doctorate of Paediatric Dentistry and Deputy Director of the MSc in Paediatric Dentistry. His research interests include dental materials for children, evidence based dentistry and the oral health of elite athletes.

Orthodontics

Martyn Cobourne is Professor and Academic Head of Orthodontics at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant in Orthodontics at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. He graduated from King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1990 and after a series of junior hospital posts in Bristol and London undertook specialty training in orthodontics at King’s College Hospital, obtaining his Membership in Orthodontics in 1997. He was awarded a Medical Research Council Clinical Training Fellowship in 1998 and completed a PhD at the United Medical and Dental Schools, University of London in 2002. Martyn was appointed as a Senior Lecturer and Hon Consultant in Orthodontics at King’s College London Dental Institute in 2004. His research is primarily focused on investigating the role of molecular signaling pathways during the early development of the head and face. However, he is also interested in the effectiveness of contemporary orthodontic treatment and has led a number of clinical trials investigating treatment efficiency. He has published over 115 peer-reviewed articles and is the author of two successful orthodontic textbooks. He was Director of Research at the British Orthodontic Society from 2012-2016 and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Orthodontics. He was elected to the Faculty Board in 2017and is the Chair of the Faculty's Examinations committee.

Restorative dentistry

Mr Robert Crawford is Consultant in Restorative Dentistry, Joint Clinical Lead of the Endodontic Department and an Academic Educational Supervisor to Specialty Registrars in Restorative Dentistry at the Royal National ENT & Eastman Dental Hospitals, UCLH NHS Foundation Trust, London. During training, he attained a distinction in the MSc in Conservative Dentistry, Eastman Dental Institute and was awarded his FDSRCS in Restorative Dentistry. In 2010, he was appointed Consultant in Restorative Dentistry and Clinical Lead of the Endodontic Department at the Eastman Dental Hospital. Since this time, the department has undergone significant expansion and service development. He is actively involved in postgraduate dental education, in particular specialist level clinical training in the restorative disciplines. He enjoys lecturing internationally and his academic interests include multidisciplinary management for tooth preservation, smile aesthetics and dental implants. He has served as an examiner for MRD RCS and MEndo RCS examinations since 2018 and contributes to the ongoing development of the restorative examinations for the Faculty. He was elected to the Faculty Board in 2020 and serves on the Faculty’s Postgraduate Education and Fellowship & Awards committees.

Special Care Dentistry

Mrs Charlotte Curl qualified from the University of London in 1992, attained her FDSRCS England in1995, a Diploma in Special Care Dentistry RCS England in 2006 and Diploma in Clinical Education, King’s College London in 2019. After working in Special Care Dentistry in a Community and Hospital Setting, she was admitted to the Specialist List in Special Care Dentistry in 2009 and was appointed as Consultant in Special Care Dentistry at Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust in 2014 and King’s College Hospital in 2015. She has been actively involved in both Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching, having been an Educational Supervisor and Training Programme Director and has run several Postgraduate training courses. She has also been an examiner for the both the Diploma in Special Care Dentistry and the Tricollegiate Exam in Special Care Dentistry. Charlotte has served on the Executive Committee of the British Society of Disability and Oral Health since 2012 and is currently the Honorary Secretary. Her clinical interests include the dental management of patients living with dementia and those requiring dental treatment prior to undergoing cardiac valve surgery. Her research interests include the identification and management of dental pain in older people living with dementia.

Staff and Associate Specialist Grades Representative

Hesham Emam qualified as a dentist from Cairo University in 1998. He arrived in the UK as an international dental graduate in 2001 and has since been working in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, as a trainee and SAS grade. He is currently a Specialist Grade Doctor in OMFS at Morriston Hospital, Swansea. He became a member of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2004 and a Fellow of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in 2015. He has a special interest in Dental Implantology, which he practices privately, and in Medical and Dental Education. He obtained a MSc with distinction in Implantology and a PG Diploma in medical education from Cardiff University. He is the named clinical supervisor and facilitator of oral surgery and conscious sedation courses for the dental core trainees in South Wales. Hesham was invited to FDS Board in 2008 as the SAS Grade Representative. He was then co-opted to the AoMRC SAS committee, the RCS England SAS Forum and the BDA Central Committee of Hospital Dental Services. He was appointed on the RCS Global Oral Health Committee and became the Chair of the newly founded FDS SAS Education Committee in 2022. He has a long and broad experience in supporting and representing SAS grade doctors and dentists, and he contributed to numerous initiatives and events promoting the acknowledgment, career progression and aspirations of the grade, leading to the introduction of RCS SAS Strategy.

Dental Public Health

Oral Surgery

Sarah Howells qualified from UCH in 1982 and gained her FDS in 1999. She additionally gained a DDPH and a MSc in Dental Public Health. She has worked in the Head and Neck Unit Royal Marsden Hospital for over 20 years as an Associate Specialist. During this time, she has also worked in primary, secondary and community care with her practice limited to oral surgery. She has been involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at the Eastman Dental Institute and King’s College London. She is keen to provide appropriate care to oncology patients within the Head and Neck Unit and other units at the Royal Marsden Hospital. She is involved in the provision of oral surgery services at Charing Cross Hospital. She is an OSCE lead on the core group of MJDF and is an examiner for medical emergencies component of the Overseas Registration Examination. She was elected to the Faculty Board in 2017 and is Chair of the Faculty's Clinical Standards committee.

Oral surgery

Dr Rachel Leeson is an Associate Professor in Oral Surgery at University College London, (UCL) Eastman Dental Institute (EDI) and an Honorary Consultant in Oral Surgery for UCLH NHS Foundation Trust. Rachel qualified from UCH, University of London in 1990 and attained her FDS RCS (Eng) in 1994, before completing a MSc, a PhD and becoming a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Rachel has significant experience in the clinical practice and education of Oral Surgery and allied subjects. Currently this includes her roles as external examiner for both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Programme Director for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UCL, EDI which has led to many taught and research postgraduates achieving higher degrees, successfully passing RCS England examinations and securing senior positions around the globe. Rachel has a proactive role in research by virtue of leadership of many clinical trials of novel therapies and as Graduate Tutor and Head of the Eastman Centre for Postgraduate Research. Rachel was elected to the Faculty Board in 2019.

Miss Sana Luqmani is a Consultant Orthodontist in South West London. As well as her MSc and Fellowship in Orthodontics, she also holds an MSc in Primary Dental Care. She is committed to promoting effective collaboration between GDPs and Specialists within the dental profession. Miss Luqmani has been a valued member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England since 2014, and successfully completed the RCS Lady Estelle Wolfson Emerging Leaders Fellowship programme in 2023. She has subsequently been actively involved in selecting and shortlisting candidates for future cohorts of this prestigious leadership programme. She is passionate about Equality and Diversity and advocates fair representation and equal opportunities for all within dentistry and healthcare, regardless of their background or circumstances – Ultimately, with the goal to provide the best possible care for our diverse patient population.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS)

Vinod is a consultant oral surgeon at Guys & St Thomas' Hospital. In addition to hospital oral surgery services, he works as part of a multi-disciplinary dental and medical team to provide clinical dental care for oncology patients prior, during and after their cancer treatment. Vinod's research and teaching is focused around dental oncology particularly around prevention and management of osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Dr Jadbinder Seehra is a Consultant Orthodontist based at both Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He is currently the Deputy lead for the Orthodontic Masters (MSc) programme at Kings College London and Director of Orthodontic Therapy, Kings Health Partners. In these positions, he provides academic and clinical training to orthodontic postgraduate students and therapists. He is actively involved in clinical research and has published extensively in the scientific literature. He has held numerous positions of leadership and responsibility within both the British Orthodontic Society and Royal College of Surgeons of England. Mr Makdissi was elected to the Faculty Board in 2018.

Representing Staff and Associate Specialist Grades

Early Careers Representative

Orthodontic National Group

Early Careers Representative

Trainee Representative