Vanaja Krishna Naik, Clinical Lecturer in Periodontics

Profile

I am currently pursuing part-time PhD in School of Dentistry, University of Leeds, exploring the area of psychological stress and periodontitis.

I qualified as a Dentist (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) from the Kuvempu University, Karnataka, India in 1998, following which I worked in a university hospital at Chennai India for a year. Subsequent year I got into specialty training (Masters in Dental Surgery) in Periodontology. In November 2001, I completed my specialty training successfully, following which I joined as a lecturer focusing on teaching, clinics and Research and simultaneously evenings I worked at a community-based hospital, in Chennai, India.

In 2008, I was awarded T. C. White visiting Scholarship from Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow, UK. This was to obtain further training in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry. Following which I returned to India, and I was based in India till November 2015 and had progressed to Professor position at SRM Dental College, Chennai, India. During this time, I supervised several original pieces of research work of specialty trainees (clinical studies and in vivo) and supported students in their clinical work. During my time in SRM my passion for psychological stress and its impact on periodontium developed. I won awards twice for national essay competitions conducted by the Indian Society of Periodontology.

Finally, I made a permanent move to UK in 2015 and completed Vocational Training Equivalence and once a week I maintained my teaching at Birmingham Dental Hospital. In September 2017, I took up my appointment at the University of Leeds and currently co-lead undergraduate Periodontics teaching along with pursuing my research in psychological stress and periodontal diseases. I maintain once a week my own clinical treatment sessions.

In my PhD, I am currently adopting mixed methods approach for my research questions and this research study is evolving every day.

I am on committee of periodontal research group part of British Society of Oral and Dental research society, representing early career research groups.

I am trying to find a good balance between my teaching, clinics and research commitments. I come from a background of variety of research interests in the subject of Periodontology including the assessment of clinical outcome of periodontal surgical procedures.

Research interests

• Psychological stress and periodontal disease 
• Mechnistic links between diabetes and periodontitis
• Mucogingival surgical procedures
• Regenerative periodontics

Qualifications

• FHEA
• MFDSRCPS (Glasg, UK)
• MDS (Periodontics)
• BDS