Dr Angela Hewett
Assistant Professor of Behavioural Science and Health Psychology
Staff profile for Angela Hewett, Assistant Professor of Behavioural Sciene and Health Psychology in the School of Dentistry, University of Birmingham.
Applied Dental Research
Dental public health and behavioural science
Dental public health and behavioural science in dentistry focus on identifying patterns of disease, risk factors, and population-level needs to inform evidence-based prevention strategies, health promotion, and policy development. Our research is committed to advancing the understanding of oral diseases and improving both oral and overall health in the UK and internationally. Our work also addresses gender- and socio-economic-based health inequalities, including studies on childhood dental caries.
We apply rigorous methodologies from dental public health, epidemiology, and behavioural science to generate robust evidence that underpins the design of targeted prevention strategies, health promotion programs, and policies across primary, secondary, and tertiary care. For example, we have implemented initiatives to facilitate the early detection of diabetes in UK dental practices through periodontal assessments. We also work with public bodies, such as NICE, and policy makers to achieve our aim of improving community and population health.
Staff in this research area
Dr Vahid Ravaghi
Assistant Professor in Dental Public Health
Vahid Ravaghi is a Lecturer in Dental Public Health at the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry in the School of Health Sciences.
Dr Zehra Yonel
Clinical Lecturer Periodontology
Staff profile of Zehra Yonel, Clinical Lecturer at the School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham.
Clinical trials
Clinical trials are frequently carried out on our periodontology and oral surgery clinics, often in close collaboration with our industry partners. This research includes experimental studies, clinical trials of investigational medicinal products (CTIMPs), and epidemiological studies. Our dedicated team includes research nurses and coordinators, and the licensed tissue bank at the Department of Dentistry enables our clinical research.
We evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions and explore determinants of clinical outcomes in dental medicine. Our interests are in oral and periodontal surgery, such as factors and treatments to reduce postoperative morbidity after third molar surgery, minimally invasive tooth extraction, periodontal surgical techniques and materials, research on implant failure and oral-systemic disease association studies. Our work has been funded by NIH, NIHR and industry.
Staff in this research area
Professor Thomas Dietrich
Professor of Oral Surgery
Thomas Dietrich is Head of the Department of Oral Surgery in the School of Dentistry in the School of Health Sciences.
Professor Moritz Kebschull
Chair of Restorative Dentistry
Professor Moritz Kebschull, Chair of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham
Miss Annika Therese Kroeger
Clinical lecturer in oral surgery
Ms Annika Kroeger is a full time NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer and Specialty Registrar in Oral Surgery at the University of Birmingham.
Dr Praveen Sharma
Associate Professor & Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry
Staff Profile for Dr Praveen Sharma, Associate Professor in Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham
Dr Zehra Yonel
Clinical Lecturer Periodontology
Staff profile of Zehra Yonel, Clinical Lecturer at the School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham.
Advanced image analysis
Advanced image analysis techniques can be used to improve diagnosis, planning and treatment outcomes for patients with dentofacial anomalies, and this research area is closely related to the field of orthodontics. At the Department of Dentistry, we carry out research including 3D assessment of facial shape, motion and symmetry, as well as advanced imaging for surgical planning, facial dynamics in conditions such as cleft lip and palate, and related aesthetic and functional analyses.
We also use advanced analysis methods to assess microscopy images of tissues, with the aim to develop new methods to detect oral cancer early on. Specifically, we are developing an automated workflow that combines high-resolution H&E and multiplexed immunofluorescence images to create a large database of human cells with detailed images and labels. Models can be trained on this database for studying the tumour immune micro-environment and advancing computational pathology.
Staff in this research area
Professor Balvinder (Sunny) Khambay
Professor of Orthodontics / Honorary Consultant in Orthodontics
Professor Balvinder Khambay, Academic University lead of the Orthodontic Department and Honorary Consultant Orthodontist at Birmingham Dental School.
Dr Rasha Abu-Eid
Associate Professor in Oral Biology
Dr Rasha Abu-Eid, Associate Professor in Oral Biology, School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham