Dental Clinical Research Unit (DRU)
The Dental Research Unit based in the Dental School research mission is to conduct world-class multidisciplinary research, aiming to improve oral health through:
- academic excellence
- policy impact
- commercial innovation​
The Unit Director for DRU is Dr Richard Holliday Clinical Senior Lecturer & Consultant in Restorative Dentistry.
The team is highly experienced in all aspects of clinical trial delivery in dentistry. The DRU team are also trained in gingival/periodontal and saliva sample collection, periodontal assessment, behavioural and mood assessments and simple oral biology laboratory procedures.
The DRU will continue to work in the following areas:
- periodontal disease management, especially around smoking and periodontal disease and periodontal disease and other long-term conditions (e.g. cardiovascular and diabetes).
- translate the work of oral immunologist and microbiologists in novel periodontal diagnostics and biofilm management, including commercial applications.
- oro-facial pain group of early career researchers (ECRs) to trial novel pain management interventions.
- exploring the potential for paediatric dentistry interventions especially in caries management
- aerosol work developed in response to COVID-19 pandemic but of ongoing relevance to dental practice and wider.
Facilities
All clinical rooms are equipped with standard Clinical Dentistry Equipment. The two Advanced
Dental Room has a ceiling-mounted operating microscopes and digital x-ray units for endodontic research plus scrub sinks and equipment for surgical research procedures.
It is supported by a Bioscience Laboratory (for immediate sample processing, nucleic acid and protein analysis, microbiological research, cell culture, neuroscience research), and a Dental Biomaterials Laboratory (with atomic force microscope, micro-hardness testing and spectrometry) in the Dental School of NU.
To find out more visit: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/dental/research/