معرفی
Dr Alison Cairns is a Clinical Professor of Paediatric Dentistry and Dental Education at the University of Glasgow Dental School, where she currently serves as the Director of Dental Education for the Undergraduate Programme. She provides NHS clinical services at the Royal Hospital for Children and Glasgow Dental Hospital, where she also delivers clinical training for undergraduate students and junior NHS staff. Dr Cairns is the academic lead for Paediatric Dentistry teaching, including Paediatric Outreach Clinics based in the Public Dental Service, and previously served as Quality Assurance and Learning Enhancement Officer for the dental school.
- BDS with Commendation (1997)
- MFDS (RCSEd)
- MSc by Research
- M Paed Dent (RCPSG)
- FDS Paed Dent (RCPSG)
- Education-based PhD (2018)
Dr Cairns' research focuses on dental education, cleft care, child protection, and dental trauma. Her work in dental education has particularly centered on peer observation of teaching schemes to develop clinical dentistry tutors' teaching practices, which formed the basis of her PhD. She has made significant contributions to understanding dental practitioners' roles in child protection and has published extensively on cleft lip and palate management within multidisciplinary teams.
Analysis of Dr Cairns' recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on dental education innovation, particularly in assessment methods, clinical reasoning development, and adapting to technological changes like AI. Her work also demonstrates sustained commitment to cleft care services, with multiple publications evaluating the Glasgow Children's Cleft Clinic and examining the pandemic's impact on specialized dental services. The integration of health and wellbeing into dental education represents a newer focus area in her scholarly work.
Dr Cairns has been actively involved in mentoring students and junior staff, providing clinical training at multiple levels. Her leadership roles within the dental school have positioned her to influence curriculum development and quality assurance processes across the undergraduate program.
She maintains active clinical practice at the Royal Hospital for Children and Glasgow Dental Hospital, ensuring her educational approaches remain grounded in current clinical realities. Her work bridges the gap between academic dentistry and practical patient care, particularly in specialized areas like cleft management and child protection.
