David Edwards

Dr. David Edwards is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Dental Sciences at the University of Dundee's School of Dentistry. He holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Edinburgh and has held research roles at the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute. His research focuses on prokaryotic cell cycle dynamics and antimicrobial strategies, with key contributions to understanding bacterial cell wall synthesis and pathogen mechanisms like Fusobacterium nucleatum's role in periodontal disease. He leads teaching in microbiology modules across dentistry and health sciences programs.

Education & Early Career:

• PhD, Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh (1993)
• Research Associate, Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford (1993–1997)
• Max Planck Research Fellow (Bacillus subtilis cell division), Tuebingen, Germany (1997–2000)

Research Interests: Edwards' work bridges molecular microbiology and clinical applications, emphasizing antimicrobial resistance and pathogen biology. Recent projects include modeling Fusobacterium nucleatum's cell cycle and collaborating on chromosome partitioning mechanisms with Prof. Tom Owen-Hughes. His lab also investigates novel antimicrobial materials for dental applications.

Teaching & Leadership:

• 2nd BDS Year Lead and Microbiology Module Coordinator
• Lead for Infection Control and Cleanliness in Dental Programs
• External Examiner for Newcastle University's Molecular Biology MSc
• Supervisor of Honours and Masters projects in Molecular Microbiology

Grants & Projects:

• Developing a model of SARS-CoV-2 infection in oral cell lines (2020–2021)
• Bacteriophage analysis for Fusobacteria control (2013–2014)

Labs & Collaborations: Active partnership with the Centre for Life Sciences (CLS) at Dundee on chromosome dynamics studies.