The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh was the venue for the ceremony. The gala event was the culmination of a competition that saw entries from 15 UK and Irish dental schools being presented to a panel of experts. This year Prof Nairn Wilson, dean of the Dental Institute at King’s; Prof Robbie McConnell of Cork University Dental School and Hospital; and Susan Hooper of the University of Bristol’s Dental School performed the task of adjudication. The standard of entrants continued to impress the panel, making their decision a challenging one.
The winning entry came from Lisa Durning from Manchester Dental School. Her research, entitled ‘Analysis of a novel embryonic stem cell line exhibiting de novo promoter methylation of the metastasis suppressor E-cadherin’ has won her an all-expenses paid trip to Orlando, Florida, to attend the American Dental Association’s Annual Conference. She also becomes a member of SCADA, an international association of student clinicians.
Second prize of a cheque for £500 was awarded to Mark Gidley from Sheffield Dental School for his research into ‘Identification and quantification of periodontal pathogens in diabetic patients’. There was also a plaque awarded to Malveen Mann, as her research entitled ‘Ultrasonic scaler oscillations and implant surface defects’ was judged as the presentation with the best clarity and professionalism.
Once the awards and speeches concluded, there was a display of traditional Scottish dancing, with the attendees encouraged to join in. Soon everyone was enjoying a Cèilidh that went on late into the night.