Division of Periodontology and Oral Rehabilitation
The Division of Periodontology and Oral Rehabilitation is a globally recognised centre for research in periodontology, blending fundamental science with clinical applications to advance oral and systemic health.
Through interdisciplinary collaborations, including deep research-focused links to industry, and cutting-edge methodologies, the team addresses the complex interplay between oral diseases and overall health, striving to translate discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and society. Their work spans molecular research, long-term cohort studies, clinical trials, and the development of innovative diagnostics, as evidenced by multiple patents co-developed by researchers in the division and industry collaboration partners.
A significant focus is on molecular epidemiology, utilizing multi-omics approaches to uncover molecular profiles linked to periodontal and peri-implant pathophysiology, oral and related systemic diseases. Researchers analyze DNA, RNA, epigenetic and proteomic markers, alongside microbial signatures, to interrogate integrated datasets and, using machine-learning technology, build novel diagnostic tools. High-throughput transcriptomics, proteomics, and imaging techniques provide spatial insights into tissue-level interactions, offering new perspectives on the mechanisms driving periodontal diseases.
Another major area is the epidemiological investigation of the relationship between systemic diseases and periodontitis. The division explores how oral inflammation contributes to conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic kidney disease. With a focus on immune-microbial interactions and dysregulated inflammation, their studies aim to unravel the biological mechanisms linking these conditions, ultimately improving patient care through early diagnosis and preventative strategies.
Clinical trials form the backbone of translational research efforts, testing interventions to improve periodontal outcomes. These trials evaluate therapies ranging from biofilm management and photobiomodulation to micronutritional approaches for reducing inflammation. By rigorously assessing the efficacy of novel treatments, the division aims to expand the evidence base for periodontal care, ensuring better outcomes for patients worldwide.
Researchers in the Division collaborate via the long-standing Periodontal Research Group.
m.kebschull@bham.ac.uk
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Professor Kebschull works in molecular epidemiology, linking molecular profiles to cross-sectional clinical phenotypes and longitudinal health outcomes in periodontology, oral health and related systemic diseases.
In this, he is working with nucleic acid -omics profiles generated by sequencing or array technologies, such as DNA, RNA and epigenetic (miRNA, DNA methylation) profiles of host cells, fluids or tissues, as well as microbial signatures (meta-genomics, meta-transcriptomics).
In so doing, a major challenge is the mathematical integration of multi-omics data - Professor Kebschull’s group has generated integrated datasets of up to five different -omes for the same samples!
In addition to the aforementioned “bulk” analyses, Moritz works on interrogating periodontal and peri-implant tissues on the spatial level, linking high-throughput transcriptomics and imaging for a fascinating view into what is happening in the tissues at sub-cellular resolution.
In addition to the aforementioned work in molecular epidemiology, Professor Kebschull, as a clinical academic in periodontology and restorative dentistry and one of the protagonists of the development of clinical practice guidelines in Europe, also runs major externally funded investigator-initiated randomised trials of periodontal interventions in order to augment the existing evidence base.
i.l.c.chapple@bham.ac.uk
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Iain is a clinician scientist with an interest in immune-microbial interactions underpinning periodontitis and its links to non-communicable systemic diseases (NCD). His research spans the full discovery to translational science pathway: Risk Assessment and Diagnosis: Development of novel diagnostic and prediction tools for periodontal diseases (including development of enhanced chemiluminescence assays, FT-ICR MS/MS proteomics and near-patient diagnostic technologies).
Initial work with gingival crevicular fluid expanded to saliva biomarker discovery, where he has 15 global patents. Pathogenesis: Innate immune responses in the pathobiology of periodontitis, focussed on epithelial and neutrophil (PMNL) responses to periodontal bacteria, including neutrophil extracellular traps, reactive oxygen species and cytokine release and directional chemotaxis.
A key focus involves the role of dysregulated periodontal inflammation in the pathogenesis of systemic NCDs (Type-2 Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Kidney Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (Birmingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in Inflammation – Oral, Gastrointestinal and Systemic Health). Therapeutics: The role of oxidative stress in periodontal and systemic inflammation and development of micronutritional approaches to modulating gene transcriptional factors and downstream inflammatory cascades. Co-morbidity: Unravelling biological mechanisms whereby periodontal inflammation contributes to the systemic inflammatory burden and how oral healthcare teams can engage in early case detection of systemic NCDs.
m.r.milward@bham.ac.uk
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My key areas of research are:
• Elucidating the mechanisms underpinning the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases, including neutrophil biology, and the role of epithelium & fibroblasts. Identifying therapeutic targets to reduce the aberrant host response characteristic of chronic inflammatory diseases.
• Microbiology of Oral Disease: How the plaque biofilm interacts with hosts cells to induce inflammation and disease. Development of non-antibiotic methods of biofilm reduction to promote health.
• Role of diet in the aetiology and management of periodontal disease: how phytonutrients impact on inflammation and how this translates to management of chronic inflammatory diseases.
• Photobiomodulation: understanding the mechanisms and biological pathways that underpin the beneficial effects of light-based interventions. Developing light-based therapies for the management of infected and traumatic lesions.
• Clinical trials: testing new oral products to determine clinical efficacy. Our group has over the last 20+ years established an international reputation for delivering clinical trials for several large international companies.
• Tribology: research investigating the interaction of toothpaste particle size on dental hard tissues and brushing efficacy.
• Educational research: developing novel educational strategies to enhance under and post graduate education e.g. development of biofidelic simulation models to support clinical skills development.
m.m.grant@bham.ac.uk
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Melissa Grant’s research centres the protein players associated with oral disease. She is interested in exploring novel panels of biomarkers to detect chronic inflammatory disease, such as periodontitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, chronic kidney disease and lung disease; the structure and function of proteins in the mouth and in circulation under these various conditions; the detection of these proteins by point of care tests and the production of these proteins in cell models are of particular interest.
p.sharma@bham.ac.uk
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I am an Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham, appointed as an Honorary Consultant in 2021. My research journey began with an NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship, during which I completed my PhD in 2019. My primary research interests focus on big data, epidemiology, medical statistics, and exploring the complex interplay between oral and systemic health. I am particularly passionate about using innovative methodologies to investigate the links between periodontal disease and systemic conditions. My work has been recognized with several awards, and I have had the privilege of presenting my research at national and international conferences, often at the invitation of leading periodontal societies.
As a calibrated assessor of dental indices, I contribute to the standardization and reliability of clinical research methodologies. My clinical expertise in Restorative Dentistry, which spans periodontics, endodontics, and prosthodontics, provides a practical foundation for my research, allowing me to address questions that directly impact patient care. In addition to my research, I actively supervise students conducting research projects and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to advance our understanding of the oral-systemic connection, aiming to improve both dental and broader health outcomes.
j.hirschfeld@bham.ac.uk
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Josefine Hirschfeld forms part of the Periodontal Research Group and focusses on oral and systemic innate immunity and oral microbiology. She has a special interest in neutrophils, a key immune cell, and their interactions with microorganisms and other host cells within the oral and periodontal environment. Her research looks into specific oral bacteria with the potential to cause harm in order to better understand the host reponse towards different members of oral microbial biofilms. She also investigates how inflammatory tissue destruction occurs, and how these inflammatory-destructive mechanisms may link periodontitis and other non-communicable diseases.
Most of her research is centered around investigating samples obtained from human subjects and patients, and using in vitro models. Her research is aimed at identifying new molecular and mechanistic targets for prevention and treatment of periodontitis as well as conditions with similar inflammatory mechanisms. She closely collaborates with interdisciplinary experts from the areas of microbiology, immunology, material science as well as a wide range of medical and dental specialists worldwide.
z.yonel@bham.ac.uk
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My research aims to help develop better integrated care pathways between primary dental care and primary medical care for people living with periodontitis and type 2 diabetes.