Gavin McLellan Speaker Bio

I am GDP who has worked in a practice in Fife for over 25 years. I developed an interest in the delivery of postgraduate dental education initially through my role as a vocational trainer then later as a VT Adviser within NES. In 2018 I joined Scottish Government on secondment as a Senior Dental Officer within the CDO team. This role has expanded, and along with two colleagues I now work as Deputy Chief Dental Officer on a part time basis. I continue to maintain my role as VT Adviser alongside an ongoing part time commitment as a GDP in practice.

Rebecca Harris Speaker Bio

Rebecca is Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England and Professor of Oral Health Services Research in the Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool. She has had a mixed academic and NHS career which has included roles as Clinical Director of Salaried Dental Services in South Glamorgan. More recently she has carried non-dental University senior leadership roles as Head of Department of Health Services Research and Dean of the Institute of Population Health Sciences. Her dental professional roles have included being a Past President of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, Oral Health Topic expert for NICE committees and Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee inquiry into dentistry in 2019.

She has an extensive research portfolio including as Chief Investigator of several NIHR grants including a current NIHR Programme Grant on reducing inequalities in the use of routine dental services https://www.returnproject.co.uk/. Her research is recognised as world leading with the award of International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Distinguished Scientist Award for Behavioural, Epidemiologic and Health Services Research in 2020, and the IADR Giddon Award for Distinguished Research in the Behavioural Sciences in 2014.

Because of her research background in NHS dental contracting, Rebecca was involved in a Department of Health Evidence and Learning group during the pre-prototype phase of pilot dental contract evaluation. She is currently providing clinical leadership to the Dental System Reform programme in England in her capacity as Deputy Chief Dental Officer.

Peter Robinson Speaker Bio

Peter Robinson graduated in 1981. After junior hospital jobs he set up dedicated dental services for people with HIV/AIDS. That work led to his Masters in Dental Public Health and a PhD in Epidemiology and Statistics. He moved on to become a Senior Lecturer and King’s Dental Institute and took up a Chair in Sheffield in 2002. He was Head of Bristol Dental School from 2016 to 2020 and retired in 2021. His research interests included the evaluation of oral health care and the effect of the mouth on peoples’ everyday lives. He became Editor of Community Dental Health in 2017.

Maggie Rae Speaker Bio

Maggie Rae is President of the Faculty of Public Health. She has particular interests in health inequalities, sustainable development, workforce, education and standards setting for Public Health. She is Head of the South West Academy of Population and Public Health for Health Education England and leads the South West Specialist Public Health Training Programme.

Maggie is a Visiting Professor of Public Health at the University of the West of England and the University of Exeter, has been a Director of Public Health twice, and has also led on Health Inequalities and Local Delivery at the Department of Health.

As President she works closely with the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges, Local Government Association and a wide range of partners who have interests in Public Health. Maggie is committed to working with all 4 Nations of the UK and FPH members across the world.

Rachel Jackson Speaker Bio

Rachel graduated as a Dentist from the Institute of Dentistry Aberdeen, with a first for highest clinical proficiency. Rachel currently works within the North of Scotland and remains passionate about pursuing post-graduate education within the field of prosthodontics. In addition to her clinical commitment and studies, Rachel has been teaching since 2010, delivering courses on dental photography for NES and a clinical tutor on the BSc Oral Health Science course (UHI). Rachel is also a qualified Medical Illustrator/photographer and member of the Institute of Medical Illustrators and seeks to amalgamate art practice with science learning within many aspects of her professional career.

As an artist Rachel incorporates classical drawing principles, realism, and the beauty of the renaissance period, repackaged with a contemporary scientific edge. In 2020 Rachel was commissioned to illustrate cover series 229 for the British Dental Journal.

Today Rachel continues her research within the subject area, ‘Teaching methods that facilitate the craftmanship of dentistry’. Rachel currently offers public engagement activities that teach the traditional skills of the medical artist in collaboration with Surgeons Hall Edinburgh and promotes dental health awareness whilst aiming to improve the patient-professional relationship through creative practice. Rachel will be exhibiting her work and presenting her thoughts on using art in dental education where the by-product offers unique public engagement opportunities that incorporate dental public health messages.

Simon Hearnshaw Speaker Bio

Simon’s background is general dental practice in a deprived area with a keen interest in prevention and skill mix delivery of care. He has chaired the local dental network in North Yorkshire & Humber for seven years where he has worked with stakeholders to embed prevention across programmes co-developed with stakeholders.

Simon is the coordinator of the National Community Water Fluoridation Network which works with partners including BASCD to raise the profile of any to lobby for the public health programme where appropriate.

Albert Yeung Speaker Bio

Albert Yeung is Consultant in Dental Public Health at NHS Lanarkshire in Scotland. He is an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer of the University of Glasgow. He is a Professional Adviser to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. He is the only dentist being appointed to be a specialist assessor for the UK Public Health Register.

Originally from Hong Kong, Albert studied dentistry in Glasgow. He has a diverse background of working experience in dentistry in the UK, including general dental practice, hospitals, community dental service and teaching in dental schools.

He is co-editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Dentistry (Second Edition). He is an examiner for General Dental Council’s Overseas Registration Examination, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG), and Royal College of Surgeons of England. He is also an external examiner for the University of Central Lancashire.

Albert and his team have won a number of national or international awards, including:

•   Overall Team of the Year (The Probe Dental Award 2008);

•   Roger Anderson Poster Prize (BASCD 2008);

•   Patron’s Prize (National Oral Health Promotion Group 2009 & 2015);

•   Keith Woods Memorial Prize (BASCD 2011);

•   Team of the Year (North) Award (The Probe Dental Award 2012);

•   Finalist of Dental Team Award (Scottish Dental Awards 2014);

•   Winner of the RCPSG Ben Walton Development and Scholarship Grant (2018).

Albert served on the BASCD Council as BASCD Treasurer from 2014 to 2017. He will take over the role of BASCD President in June 2022.

Dr Asha Thomson Speaker Bio

Asha is a published unconventional portfolio dentist and holds formal roles within surgery, education and leadership and has a passion for authentic and compassionate leadership.

Asha holds a formal clinical role as a Speciality Dentist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and she teaches undergraduate dental students Oral Surgery at Kings College, London where she is a Senior Clinical Teacher in Oral Surgery. She holds a leadership role with NHSE/I and the Local Dental Networks in East of England as a Senior Leadership Fellow where she supports the Local Dental Network chair in East Anglia. She has led on multiple regional projects which include supporting the COVID response, recruitment and retention initiatives in areas of unmet need, and improving urgent access to dental care.

Asha has a passion for resilience development and led and implemented, with the co-founders from the Dental Leadership Collaborative, the first clinical leadership resilience programme at Kings College, London in 2020 for undergraduate dental students. As co-founder and director of the Global and Oral Health Collaborative she has co-led two Global and Oral Health conferences ran by healthcare professionals and is passionate about integrating and ensuring oral health is a priority within the healthcare agenda. Asha is a current cohort director for the London cohort at The Healthcare Leadership Academy, current chair of the Midlands and East Dental Leadership Alumnus and holds the role as a group lead for the clinical humanities module at Kings College, London for dental students.

Mairead Harding Speaker Bio

Professor of Dental Public Health and Preventive Dentistry in University College Cork (UCC), Ireland and Director of the Oral Health Services Research Centre in UCC, a multidisciplinary team of researchers interested in the protection and promotion of oral health and wellbeing in Ireland and internationally.

Professor Harding leads the Masters in Dental Public Health (MDPH) offered by the School of Dentistry. Prof Harding has extensive experience in supervising and examining research students at masters and doctoral level from across Ireland and other countries including India, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

Warren Tolley Speaker Bio

Warren Tolley is currently Deputy Chief Dental Officer for Welsh Government and Associate Dental Director for Powys Teaching Health Board.

Warren qualified at Birmingham Dental School in 1991 where he completed vocational training in a busy NHS dental practice based in Sandwell. Shortly afterwards he purchased the practice and ran the practice until 2003 when he and his family moved to Mid Wales. During his time in Sandwell he was also an active member of the LDC.

On moving to Mid Wales, he worked for the community dental service as a dental officer and at a local private dental practice before taking an advisory role within the health board and becoming the clinical director of the community dental service. Prior to taking up the position of DCDO Warren was also chair of the Welsh Dental Committee.

Warren has a special interest in endodontics and still has a small clinical commitment.

Mohsan Ahmad Speaker Bio

Mohsan Qualified from the University of Leeds in 2005 and has been in Primary Dental Practice since. Through his early dental career, he established new NHS dental practices in Greater Manchester, one of which was a pilot practice for an innovative Service Redesign Project. There was an opportunity to collaborate alongside, Commissioners, Consultants in Dental Public Health and Researchers.

After taking an interest in aspects of NHS Dentistry away from the practice, he became involved with the Local Dental Network. Mohsan became the Chair of GM LDN in 2017 and has continued the success of their Primary Care Dental toolkits, which have been recognised nationally.

“Prevention is key in all aspects of Oral Health”

Andrea Rodriguez Speaker Bio

Dr Andrea Rodriguez is a Lecturer in Dental Public Health and Social Psychology at School of Dentistry, University of Dundee. She has PhD in Psychology and Masters in Psycho-sociology of communities, both from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before becoming an academic, Andrea worked over 15 years in third sector and community organizations based in favelas in Brazil, mostly in the fields of human rights, health and social inequalities, and popular education. Andrea has 20 years of experience in inclusive art-based approaches and community participatory research with marginalized and stigmatized groups. She was awarded in 2021 with the Stephen Fry Award for her recognised work engaging with non-academic audiences, enhancing benefits to society, and delivering excellent public engagement work. Currently, Andrea leads the Scottish Oral Health Improvement Research Programme for those experiencing homelessness – the Smile4life – and interdisciplinary projects in Scotland and Brazil focussing on inclusion oral health, co-production and co-design of services and educational resources, intersections of oral health, stigma reduction, and policy design.

Catherine Rutland Speaker Bio

As Clinical Director for Denplan and Simplyhealth, Dr Catherine Rutland leads on clinical governance, which creates an environment of continuously improving standards. This is hugely important for all healthcare providers, but particularly for small independent dental practices. Catherine Rutland represents both organisations at stakeholder events and in communications with healthcare regulatory, representative and academic bodies, as well as indemnity organisations. As part of her dental work, she represents the ‘voice of private dentistry’, bringing the view of Denplan’s thousands of member dentists to policy makers. After qualifying as a dentist from Leeds University in 1992 and securing a House Officer position, Catherine worked as a Senior House Officer in Newcastle before settling into general dental practice. Catherine joined Denplan part-time in 2010 and was promoted to her current position in 2019. She has 19 years’ experience as a joint partner in a private dental practice in Berkshire, and completed a Masters in Medical Ethics and Law from King’s College London in 2013. She is also a certified member of the Institute of Risk Management and completed a Level 7 Certificate in Leadership Mentoring and Coaching in 2016.

Charlotte Jeavons Speaker Bio

Charlotte started her career as a Dental Nurse more that 25 years ago and retains her GDC registration. She has held positions in both dental public health and dental services management for two London Primary Care Trusts. Alongside her NHS role Charlotte started teaching part-time in 2000 at Bart’s and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. In 2011 she moved into higher education full time at the University of Greenwich, where she is an Associate Professor. She holds the dual positions of Head of Public Health and Deputy Head of the School of Human Sciences. Charlotte is currently an elected Council member for BASCD and Lead for oral health improvement. She has a Masters’ (with distinction) in public health and a PhD in dental public health ethics focusing on parental consent procedures and inequalities.

Maria Morgan Bsc (Hons), PGCE, MPH, MPhil, FHEA, FFPH Speaker Bio

Maria is a skilful public health professional with a wide portfolio of practical public health experience developed over the last thirty years. She retired from her role as Senior Lecturer in Dental Public Health at the Cardiff University School of Dentistry in August last year. Maria is currently president of BASCD (2020-2022).

Her interests include dental and generic public health, epidemiology, inequalities in health, and nutrition and health promotion. The main themes of Maria’s research are public health nutrition, public health, and dental epidemiology. Her experience in these areas and her contribution to the evaluation of Design to Smile, a national oral health promotion programme, has led to her being involved in research in caries prevention.

Maria has experience of both TV and radio media, having appeared on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Wales News to talk about oral health in babies and children. She has also featured in a BBC Wales News article on use of sports drinks amongst young teens. Maria has been quoted by The Daily Mail, The Mirror, and WalesOnline. She has also written for The Conversation on portion sizes for cereals.

Nishma Sharma Speaker Bio

Nishma Sharma has been working for the Office of the Chief Dental Officer England for the last 5 years, initially as a fellow and then as clinical leadership manager. Her initial roles were working alongside Eric Rooney on Dental Contract Reform and integration of dentistry into the wider healthcare systems. She helped set up the prestigious National Clinical Fellow Scheme in conjunction with the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, (FMLM),  now in its 4th year and founded the Diversity in Dentistry Action Group, (DDAG), in June 2020 which seeks to promote a collaborative approach to shape a dental profession which respects, values and lives by the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. Nishma created and delivered a pilot ‘Leadership Curriculum’ for London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Foundation dentists and therapists on behalf of HEE in 2021 to high acclaim, and has been a clinical advisor for NHSE for the past 7 years. In between spinning theses plates, Nishma continues to be an opinionated wet-fingered dental practitioner living in a leafy market town in Hertfordshire with her two children, dentist husband and hyperactive hamster.

Jo Dawson Speaker Bio

As a mum of 2 with over 30 years’ experience working as a Dental Nurse and Oral Health Educator in NHS and private, general and specialist referral practices, a Dental Nurse Tutor on NVQ and implant courses, and assisting with NEBDN practical exams, Jo Dawson has developed a passion for children's Oral Health. She currently works at Devonshire House Dental Practice in Cambridge.  In her spare time, she has set up a social enterprise (Awesome Oral Health CIC) to run Raisin Awareness, an Oral Health Promotion Project.