Skip to main content

Dental innovation research group

Our group strives to improve patient treatment outcomes by integrating biomedical science, advanced materials and dental procedures through engaging with patients, and collaborating with scientists, engineers and industry professionals.

The increase in rates of head and neck cancer around the world demands a novel approach to prevention. Patients with oral dysplasia and oral potentially malignant disorders are known to have a high risk of developing oral cancer compared to the general population. Effective diagnostic, risk stratification and treatment strategies are needed for this cohort of patients. Within the University of Liverpool Head and Neck Centre and School of Dentistry, together with clinical colleagues at the Liverpool University Dental Hospital department of Oral Medicine, we have a programme of work addressing these unmet needs.

Research focus areas

  • Development and iterative testing of clinical workflows using contextualised simulation models to improve clinical performance in dental practice. 
  • Investigate the Cell-Material interactions for regenerative procedures in laboratory, animal and clinical settings.
  • Develop digital platforms that help dental clinicians and patients inform the decision-making process. 
  • Synthesis of evidence based practice to enhance the survival of teeth and inform clinical practice guidelines.
  • Randomised control trials to investigate the efficacy of innovative intervention in the management of dental diseases in primary and secondary care settings. 

Examples of current projects

Multi-spectral phenotyping in Oral Lichen Planus

Dr Caroline McCarthy has been awarded a Starter Grant for Clinical Lectures by the Academy of Medical Sciences (£30,000) to study the immune-microenvironment in oral lichen planus, an oral potentially malignant disorder, using novel technology (Akoya Phenocycler) to describe the spatial relationship between immune cells.  This project is being led by Professor Keith Hunter (Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine).

LightOx – Novel therapeutics in Oral Dysplasia

Funding: Innovate UK £1,025,735

Dr. McCarthy is working with SME LightOx to develop a novel treatment for patients with oral dysplasia. This is a gel-based, light-activated treatment that will be applied directly to dysplastic lesions and amenable to chairside treatment. Pre-clinical work is progressing and we aim to progress to a phase I trial by 2025. They have been nominated in three categories, recognising this collaboration between the NHS, University of Liverpool and LightOx, within the Medilink Healthcare Business awards 2024.