Lecturer Details: Dental materials in the clinic and on the horizon

Lecturer nameDr Michele Barbour
Lecturer profileQualifications:

MPhys PhD PGCHE

Current post:

Senior Lecturer in Dental Materials
Deputy Head of Bristol Dental School

Short resume of career to date:

Dr Michele Barbour graduated from the University of Oxford in 1998 with an upper second class honours degree in Physics. She completed her PhD in the Dental Materials group at the University of Bristol in 2002, and after a period as a postdoctoral research associate, became Lecturer in 2005 and Senior Lecturer in 2011. She has been Deputy Head of Bristol Dental School since 2013.

Michele is head of the Oral Nanoscience group at Bristol. The group’s primary research interest is the application of nanotechnology, and particularly antimicrobial nanoparticles, to dental biomaterials and oral care products. She has published 47 papers and over 60 conference abstracts. Michele has recently formed a spin-out company from the University of Bristol, with the aim of commercialising a novel antimicrobial technology for applications including dental materials.

Experience relevant to the topic:

Michele leads dental materials education for BDS students at Bristol, including an extensive suite of elearning material. She made contributions to the 2013 edition Ric van Noort’s Introduction to Dental Materials (Elsevier) including a new chapter on Dental Nanomaterials. She has spoken at numerous meetings concerning dental materials.

Feedback from other courses given:

In 2015, Michele was voted as the winner of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Students’ Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Student and peer comments:
“Michele's lectures are comprehensive, enjoyable, interesting and relaxed”
““Michele’s commitment to self-improvement and concern to create a rigorous yet accessible learning experience for her students, in which they are encouraged to play an active part, is commendable. It is clear that her concern for her students and their learning is paramount”

Lecturer nameProfessor Richard van Noort BSc, DPhil, DSc, FAD, FRSA
Lecturer profileBiography:

I joined the University of Sheffield, Department of Medical Physics in 1976 as an EPSRC funded post-doctoral research assistant, undertaking research in soft tissues for prosthetic heart valve fabrication. In 1980 I moved to a new post as lecturer in Dental Materials Science in the Department of Restorative Dentistry in the Dental School, and have been there ever since. I was promoted to a professorial chair in 1997. I was Head of the Department of Adult Dental Care from September 2003 until August 2007. My contribution to dental materials research was recognized by the University of Sheffield with the award of the DSc in 2008. My general contribution to dental materials was recognized by the British Dental Association with the award of the John Tomes Medal for Services to Dentistry in 2009.

Research Interests:

I have a particular interest in the application of engineering principles to dentistry as a means of establishing performance indicators for dental structures. I have worked extensively on the development of new dental glass-ceramics and have recently developed a new core and a veneering ceramic for dental crowns. My research into the assessment of the biocompatibility of dental materials has embraced a study of the incidence of adverse reactions to dental materials in the UK and more recently the development of a 3D tissue engineered oral mucosal model for the laboratory assessment of adverse reactions to dental materials and other dental products. For the last seven years I have explored the application of advanced manufacturing techniques to develop methods of producing customized prostheses.

Teaching Interests:

I am responsible for all aspects of Dental Materials Science teaching in the Dental School at Sheffield both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. He has written a textbook on dental materials, which is now in its 4th edition and is the main recommended undergraduate introductory textbook for dental students at numerous dental schools in the UK and abroad. The textbook has been translated into Chinese, Portuguese and Russian.

Professional activities:

I am a member of the Editorial Board of a number of journals and referee for a large number of dental journals. I also have refereed research grant applications submitted to the EPSRC, the Wellcome Trust, Action Research and a number of regional Health Authorities. I have been external examiner for MPhil and PhD theses at Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Turku and Louvain University. I have been external examiner for the University of Birmingham (1998-2001) and GKT London BDS (1999-2002) courses (Dental Materials), MSc in Dental Materials at the University of Hong Kong and the BSc in Dental Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University. I am a member of the External Clinical Review Panel of the Dental Practice Board (since September 2003). I am Chair of the Paffenbarger Awards Committee for the Academy of Dental materials.