Dr Claudia Cunningham

She provides strategic leadership for the School’s dental programmes and research, ensuring excellence in education, clinical training, and scholarly activity. As a member of the School of Medicine and Dentistry’s Senior Leadership Team, Claudia holds cross-school responsibility for academic leadership and space management, supporting the delivery of high-quality teaching and student experience.

Dentistry at the University of Lancashire offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios of dental education in the UK, including undergraduate degrees in Dental Surgery, Dental Therapy, Clinical Dental Technology, and apprenticeships in Clinical Dental Technology, Dental Technician and Orthodontic Therapy. At postgraduate level, provision includes DClinDent and MSc programmes in Oral Surgery, Endodontology, Periodontology, and Prosthodontics, as well as an MSc in Implantology and Postgraduate Certificates in Education and Conscious Sedation.

Claudia’s academic expertise lies in curriculum design, academic leadership, and student selection within dental education. Her PhD in Dental Education (University of Aberdeen, 2021) explored selection methods in dental schools, contributing new insights into fairness, validity, and predictive outcomes in dental admissions. Her ongoing research focuses on evidence-based approaches to recruitment, widening participation, and assessment in health professions education.

She is the President of the British Alliance of Researchers in Dental Education and Scholarship (BARDES), an organisation that connects and supports dental education researchers and scholars across the UK. Through this role, Dr Cunningham promotes collaboration between undergraduate and postgraduate dental education providers to enhance the evidence base for dental education and improve learning outcomes.

Dr Cunningham also serves as Chair of the Dental Committee for NHS Education for Scotland (NES), providing strategic advice to the NES Board on the development and management of dental education across Scotland. In addition, she is an active member of the Dental Schools Council, where she previously chaired its Education Committee, and the Association of Dental Hospitals Group. She is also a Board Member of the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) consortium.

With a clinical background in Restorative Dentistry and Dental Public Health, Claudia has extensive experience as a clinician, educator, and leader. Prior to joining the University of Lancashire, she held senior academic posts at the University of Aberdeen, including Senior Clinical Lecturer and Assessment Lead. She is a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a Member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG).

Her research has been published in leading journals such as the European Journal of Dental Education, addressing topics including demographic disparities in dental school admissions, predictive validity of selection methods, and innovations in curriculum assessment.