Bridging the gap between research and patient benefit
The 2nd Worldwide Universities Network Symposium in Oral Health Sciences was held between 25 and 26 July at the University of Leeds. The programme included presentations from 21 international speakers who shared their experiences in translational research in dentistry with 110 delegates from around the world.
The Symposium featured invited speakers from Australia, China, Japan, the United States, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Researchers from a range of disciplines and clinicians came together to explore the process of translating basic science discoveries into oral health applications and testing these applications in clinical trials to accelerate the pathway to patient benefit.
The Symposium was organised by the University of Nanjing-University of Leeds Joint Centre for Oral Health Sciences, a partnership between the Dental School at Nanjing University and the Leeds Dental Institute at the University of Leeds and part of the WUN Oral Health Sciences project. During the symposium Professor Hu Qing Gang, Dean of the Institute of Stomatology at Nanjing University was presented with a visiting professorship from Professor Michael Arthur the Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leeds
Professor Jennifer Kirkham, Head of Oral Biology at Leeds Dental Institute explained “The translational research principle of working from bench to clinic and back again results in a cycle of constant improvements.
By working together, we ensure that the results of our research make a significant impact on improving the quality of life for patients.”
The Leeds Dental Institute is home to the Wellcome Trust Dental Translational and Clinical Research Unit (DenTCRU), a unique clinical facility in the UK for oral health clinical and translational research which enables direct links to be established between laboratory research and the needs of patients treated in the clinic.
Further information www.wun.ac.uk/events/dental. If you would like to get involved in this ongoing collaborations contact Kirsty Mattinson at the University of Leeds k.a.mattinson@adm.leeds.ac.uk
