GSDM Explores Partnership with The University of Manchester

The Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) maintains many international relationships that have helped both students and faculty, and have made GSDM a leader in dental research and education. This year, GSDM is exploring an exciting new research and educational partnership with the University of Manchester (UofM) in the United Kingdom.

This new partnership is spearheaded by Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research and Director of Behavioral Science Research Dr. Belinda Borrelli. She has held a Visiting Professorship at the University of Manchester for the past three years.

Dr. Borrelli chairs a steering committee that has been created to help identify areas of synergy between GSDM and the University of Manchester. Other members of the steering committee include Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter; Professor in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, and Associate Dean for Research Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska; Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research, and Associate Dean for Global & Population Health Dr. Michelle Henshaw; Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research, and Director of the Northeast Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities (CREEDD) Dr. Raul Garcia; and Professor and Director of the Division of Oral Medicine Dr. Laisheng Chou.

Dean Hutter and Dr. Borrelli visited the University of Manchester on October 5 and 6, 2015During which time they engaged in a retreat with faculty from the University of Manchester School of Dentistry and with Drs. Henshaw and Kukuruzinska participating via teleconference. Professor Paul Coulthard, Dean of the University Of Manchester School Of Dentistry, also provided Dr. Borrelli and Dean Hutter a tour of the entire university, including the School of Dentistry and the Central Manchester University Hospitals. Several other UofM faculty presented on their work, their school, and potential collaboration opportunities.

“Both schools are on the cutting edge of science and innovation; the collaboration between the two has synergistic potential to advance oral health and the state of the science,” said Dr. Borrelli. “Potential outputs from this collaboration include student exchanges, visiting professorships, access to a wider pool of research grants, access to cohorts for preliminary data for grant applications, and access to the UK biobank.”

Dean Hutter remarked, “I was very impressed by both the excellent faculty and the state-of-the-art facilities that we encountered during our visit to the University of Manchester. I am optimistic that we will develop a strong and mutually beneficial research and educational partnership”.

In the coming months, faculty from the University of Manchester will visit GSDM to learn more about our education and research offerings.