2025 FDS research awards recipients
16 Jun 2025
The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 research awards. This year’s pump-priming grants have been presented to a group of exceptional applicants, and we are proud to support their proposed research.
Congratulations to the eleven recipients of the pump-priming grants. We wish all awardees every success in their research endeavours and future academic careers.
2025 FDS research award recipients
FDS-BSP pump-priming grant
Kitty Guo, University of Dundee: Does periodontal disease status impact the carriage of the pathobiont Fusobacterium nucleatum and what are the implications of this on systemic disease?
Rajpal Tattar, The University of Sheffield: How do Notch3+ endothelial cells contribute to inflammation and systemic vascular complications in experimental periodontitis, and can their activity be therapeutically targeted with a gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI)?
FDS-BSOMP pump-priming grant
Mollie Clark, University of Sheffield: Using multiplex spatial analysis to characterise the tumour microenvironment in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and its association with prognosis.
FDS pump-priming grant
Alish Clark, University of Manchester: Answering the unanswered questions of Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (MRONJ) using a multi-site UK registry.
Bruna Costa, University of Sheffield: Understanding the role of Glycolysis in the Gingivitis to Periodontitis Transition.
Khaing Myat Thu, The University of Hong Kong: AI Assisted Remote Oral Health Monitoring in Special Needs Patients.
Shalini Kanagasingam, University of Central Lancashire: A novel Quaternary Ammonium Chitosan Hydrogel on conditioned dental root surfaces and its effect on wettability, smear layer removal, antimicrobial action and blood clot formation and adhesion compared to EDTA and Citric acid. An in-vitro single-blinded comparative study.
FDS-ABAOMS pump-priming grant
Artysha Tailor, Queen Mary University London: Which cells talk? Using spatial transcriptomics to uncover the molecular mechanisms of tumour progression in oral cancer.FDS-BOS pump-priming grant
Colin Ritchie, University of Dundee: Development and validation of an analytical model for the orthodontic treatment of anterior open bite correction by molar tooth intrusion using clinical observations, engineering testing and predictive engineering modelling.
Robert Smyth, UCL Eastman Dental Institute: Consideration of risks and benefits of treatment for an orthognathic treatment decision aid: A Delphi consensus study.
FDS-BSPD pump-priming grant
Victoria Bulmer, Newcastle University: Young people’s views on their inclusion in oral health promotion initiative design and delivery: a qualitative exploration.
FDS-BES pump-priming grant
Joymon Sasikumar, University of Central Lancashire: Accuracy and Confidence in CBCT Interpretation Using AI Software from Novice and Experienced Clinicians, with Patient Perspectives.
Professor Sondos Albadri, Chair of the FDS Research Committee, commented “It's always a highlight for me to see the high standard of applications we receive for our pump priming grants. Once again, the sheer quality and passion from early career researchers across all specialties have been inspiring. Our ongoing collaboration with the specialist societies continues to be a real strength, and it's something I deeply value.”
“This year, we're especially thrilled to welcome a new partner the British Endodontic Society which means we can offer more grants covering many oral and dental research projects. I would like to thank all the reviewers who helped ensure the quality of the awards and to all those who applied.”
Thank you to the many colleagues for dedicating their time and expertise to reviewing all the applications. We also extend our gratitude to the following specialist societies for generously co-funding the pump-priming grants: The British Society of Periodontology, British Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Association of British Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, British Orthodontic Society, British Society of Paediatric Dentistry and British Endodontic Society.