Ewch i’r prif gynnwys
David Thomas  BDS, FDRSCSEd, FDSRCSEng (ad eundem), PhD

Yr Athro David Thomas

BDS, FDRSCSEd, FDSRCSEng (ad eundem), PhD

Athro / Ymgynghorydd Anrhydeddus mewn Llawfeddygaeth Llafar a Maxilloface, Cyfarwyddwr Rhaglen Deintyddiaeth Mewnblannu, Cyfarwyddwr Rhaglen Hyfforddiant Academaidd Integredig Cymru mewn Deintyddiaeth, Ysgol Deintyddiaeth, Arweinydd Arloesi URI,

Ysgol Deintyddiaeth

Trosolwyg

Research Theme

Tissue Engineering & Reparative Dentistry

Research Groups

Microbial Effects on Tissue Function, and Tissue Repair and Remodelling

Repair and Regeneration in the Oral Mucosa

Our group$acirc;  s research is focussed in defining the molecular and cellular control mechanisms involved in impaired human wound healing. From defining the genotypic and phenotypic changes in human fibroblasts associated with disease, we have highlighted the role of  bacteria in modulating these processes.   The group was instrumental in establishing CITER. Having obtained over  £10M in external funding since our establishment of the Programme in 1993, we have worked to translate our understanding of the processes of impaired healing and particularly the role of bacterial pathogens in these processes.   The group has welcomed inter-disciplinary research and the PhD and MD programme has seen general surgeons, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, physicians and dentists as postgraduate students.

This work led to a re-evaluation of how we diagnose and manage bacteria in chronic, non-healing wounds. This work is being translated to clinical practice via the development of   new classes of agents (OligoG and polymer-drug conjugates) which offer the opportunity for new approaches to the management of human disease. We have developed and patented the use of the first oligosaccahride nanomedicines to treat multi-drug resistant gram-negative & biofilm-related infection in man (GB 0909556.3 GB 0909529.0 PCT/GB2010/001098 PCT/GB2010/001096 PCT/GB2010/001097); these agents have successfully completed Phase 1 clinical studies in humans.

Research interests

  • Cellular and Molecular Control of human wound healing
  • The role of bacteria in impaired wound healing
  • The development of novel nanomedicines for application in anti-infective and wound healing applications

Selected Projects

US Department of Defence - $1.6M The development of new therapies to treat gram-negative MDR organisms in injured combat personnel

Wellcome Trust - UK  £83,717 The goal of this project is to develop polymer therapeutic growth factor / polymer conjugates to direct cell migration and differentiation in human wound healing.

NHS / WAG  - UK £1.4M Establishment of an integrated academic clinical training programme.   The major goals of this project are the production of a cohort of clinicians with PhDs and clinical specialist training.

Algipharma   - UK £266,000 Investigation of the in vitro antimicrobial acivity, and ability to overcome multi-drug resistance, of alginate oligosaccaharide nanomedicines.

UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership -  UK £92,000 Development of in vitro models for testing of novel antimicrobial compounds in wound healing

UK Medical Research Council    -     £187,000 Development of reporter cell assays employing disease-specific fibroblast populations

UK Medical Research Council - UK £27,000 Bioresponsive polymer-peptide conjugates as novel antibacterial agents
This project has developed novel class of antimicrobial polymer-peptide conjugates for the treatment of human infections

Cyhoeddiad

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Articles

Conferences

Addysgu

Clinically, in our postgraduate training Programme in Implantology, 15 years ago I established, with my colleague Rob Adams, the Implantology educational Programme at Cardiff.  Starting with  "short" (3-day) CPD courses, we developed structured training courses (in bone- and soft-tissue grafting) and then a full-time  Masters Programme in 2008.  In 2012, we launched a part-time Diploma/Masters programme in Implantology to allow practitioners to undertake these qualifications and to date we have trained >100 individuals.  The group has now grown with 3 Lecturers  (Rob, Adrian Binney and Nick Claydon) and in 2014 will welcome 10 students to the Programme. In 2014 the UK's first postgraduate programme in the management of peri-implantitis.   My main clinical interest is in implantology and bone- and soft-tissue grafting to replace missing tissues as part of implant therapy.

Bywgraffiad

Career Profile

2010-Present Implant Programme Director

2008 present IATP Programme Director             Dentistry Wales

2005-2010 Vice-Dean Research School of Dentistry Cardiff

2004- 2010 Clinical Executive Manager CITER (www.citer.org)

2002-Present Professor /Honorary Consultant in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery University Hospital of Wales / Cardiff University*

2001 $acirc;   2002 Reader /Honorary Consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

1996 $acirc;   2001 Senior Lecturer/Hon Consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

1992 - 1996 Lecturer / Honorary Senior Registrar in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

1989 - 1992 Wellcome Clinical Research Fellow / Honorary Registrar Bristol

1988 - 1989 Specialist Registrar in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery   Ipswich Hospital

Memberships / External Activities

2010-Present US Department of Defence External Scientific Consultant

2010-Present UK Specialist Advisory Committee Oral Surgery

2008-Present Elected President Association British Academic Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons

2008-2010 Elected Secretary European Tissue Repair Society (currently Board Member)

2008-2010 Elected Organising Committee ESF Nanomedicine Meeting (Barcelona)

2006-2009 Professor (visiting 2006-2011)                      University of Trondheim

Recent invited international lectures

2010 Polymer therapeutics in human wound healing European Polymer therapeutics meeting Valencia

2010 Microbiology of impared human wound healing European Wound Management Association   Annual meeting Geneva

2010 Bacteria and wound healing French Wound Healing Society Paris

2009 The clinical challenge of Tissue Repair EU European Summer School in Nanomedicine Lisbon

2009 The microflora of impaired wound healing Wound Healing Society meeting Limoges

External examiner

MD theses (London, Manchester), PhD (Manchester, QMW, Sheffield)

External scientific consultant

Algipharma AS, previously Smith & Nephew, Johnson & Johnson

Teaching Profile

Programme Director full-time, 12 month, taught clinical MSc in Implantology and the modular longitudinal programme for Family Dental practitioners.   DWT was until 2009 Programme Director of the MSc in Tissue Engineering which he established with his colleagues in 2005.

Awards / Prizes

DWT has been awarded numerous international and national prizes for research as have the group. PhD, MD students and Post-Docs in the group have received many awards for their work including the European Tissue Repair Society Young Investigator prize on three separate occasions since 2000, the Colgate Prize of the BSDR and the Jackson Prize of BAPRAS.

Anrhydeddau a dyfarniadau

King James IV Professor RCS (2013-2014)

Aelodaethau proffesiynol

MPS

Safleoedd academaidd blaenorol

2013-2014  King James IV Professor, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
2013-  STC Royal College Representative, NHS Education for Scotland
2012-2013   Scientific Consultant, US Department of Defence
2012  Invited expert, European Commission Brussels; Nanomedicine for Biohorizons 2020
2008-2012  Integrated Academic Training Programme Director, Dentistry (Wales)
2008-2012   Elected President, Academic Association British Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
2007-2010     Elected Secretary, European Tissue Repair Society
2010  Elected European Science Foundation Nanomedicine Conference Organising Committee
2006-2010  Vice Dean Research (School of Dentistry)
2004- 2010   Clinical Executive Manager Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering & Repair
2002-Present Professor /Honorary Consultant in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (Cardiff University)
1992 - 1996   Lecturer / Honorary Senior Registrar in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (Cardiff)
1989 - 1992   Wellcome Clinical Research Fellow (Bristol)