Meet the team

Dr Susan Bissett is an academic dental hygienist at Newcastle Dental School. She has worked in dentistry for 33 years, initially qualifying as a dental nurse and oral health educator. She has worked in practice and hospital settings; and is currently Deputy Degree Programme Director for BSc Dental Therapy. She is also an active researcher, being the first dental hygienist to be awarded a national fellowship to conduct her PhD research. To date, Susan has achieved around £1,346,139 in research grants and fellowships. Her research interests include improving access to dentistry for marginalised groups; and interprofessional working to improve health outcomes.

Paul Brocklehurst is a NHS Consultant with Public Health Wales and an Honorary Professor at University College London and Cardiff University. He leads on oral health intelligence in Wales, including the Dental Epidemiology Programme. Prior to his role in Public Health Wales, he was the Director of the Clinical Trials Unit in North Wales and the Deputy Chief Dental Officer for Wales. He remains an active academic and to date has published over 110 papers, attracted over £10M in grant income and was on the 2021 REF panel. His research interests include workforce, care for older people, role-substitution, participatory research, trials in complex settings and implementation research.

Chris is the Head of School and Professor of Oral Health Services at the School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University. His research focusses on application of health economics in oral health, including projects looking at valuation of oral health services and priority setting for oral health resources. Chris currently practises as a consultant in paediatric dentistry at Newcastle Dental Hospital and has education responsibilities across the oral health related programmes at Newcastle University. He is a trustee of both the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future and the Oral and Dental Research Trust. He has worked with policy makers advising NHS England, the World Dental Federation and as part of Haleon’s global Oral Health Advisory Board.

Dr Nika Yousefzadeh is a Research Associate at Newcastle University School of Dental Sciences. Her work focuses on transitions in UK dental service delivery and the implementation of skill-mix within dental teams, using realist-informed approaches and qualitative methods to examine facilitators, barriers, and policy context. She previously worked at the NIHR Innovation Observatory, a national centre for horizon scanning and health innovation intelligence. There, she contributed to the identification, evaluation, and synthesis of evidence on emerging medicines and medical technologies to inform decision-making across NICE, NHS England, MHRA, NIHR, UKHSA, and the Department of Health and Social Care. 

Laura Ternent is a Professor in Health Economics and is co-lead for the Health Economics Group. Laura has a strong academic background in both applied and methodological work. Research interests include economic evaluation and health outcome valuation, with a particular focus on Discrete Choice Experiments and Contingent Valuation.

Tomos is a Senior Research Associate in the Health Economics Group within the Population Health Sciences Institute at Newcastle University. His main research interests are the measurement and valuation of health-related quality of life, preference elicitation methods and socioeconomic inequalities in health. 

David Black is a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Partner and co‑applicant on the SCOPE study, bringing extensive experience of working alongside researchers, clinicians, and voluntary sector organisations to improve health and care services. He contributes lived experience and public insight across a wide range of NIHR, NHS, and academic research programmes, with a particular interest in how co‑production enhances the quality, relevance, and impact of research. David holds several public involvement roles, including Patient Partner on the NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaboration Network’s Safety Network Executive Board and Appointed Hospital Governor for Patient Experience at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He also supports multiple research groups as a PPI Partner and has co‑authored several peer‑reviewed publications. His involvement spans themes such as patient safety, medicines optimisation, oral health, social welfare, and community resilience. Alongside his research activities, David co‑leads the Routes to Rights project and contributes to initiatives addressing digital exclusion, public engagement in decision‑making, and social care funding. With more than two decades of experience in the public and third sectors—including roles as Company Secretary, Director, and Trustee—he brings a strong commitment to tackling social disadvantage and improving citizens’ experiences of public services. David is passionate about ensuring that the voices of patients, carers, and the public shape research design, delivery, and dissemination. His personal interests include writing, gardening, and environmental issues. 

Saba has a background in research and joined the FMS Project Management team in 2023. She brings experience delivering collaborative programmes across academia, healthcare and community settings, with strengths in PPIE management and engagement, financial management, forecasting, reporting and event organisation. Her work centres on creating clear structures, supporting effective teamwork and maintaining strong communication so that contributors and project partners remain aligned throughout complex project lifecycles. 

Nikita joined the Faculty of Medical Sciences Project Management team at Newcastle University in 2024, as an Assistant Research Project Manager. She manages projects, from planning and financial oversight to research governance and stakeholder engagement. She also has a strong hand in communications and the project’s digital presence, making sure the right people stay informed and involved.