Dr John Ahern wins prestigious scholarship to Harvard University

A Dublin Dental School graduate has been awarded a prestigious scholarship that will see him working at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) in the United States.

Dr John Ahern, who qualified from Trinity College Dublin in both dentistry (2010) and medicine (2015), will focus his work as a Fulbright Scholar on the integration of oral health with medicine.

He said: “I believe oral health professionals have a responsibility to advocate for an integrated model of care with other health professionals.

“Expanding oral health training to clinicians working in primary care will facilitate greater access to oral health care by enabling screening, early detection and the delivery of preventive interventions.

“The integration of oral health with primary care will also encourage patients to engage with oral health services and strengthen inter-professional collaboration between health professionals.”

Dr Ahern gained his master’s degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2013 and he has also worked with the World Health Organisation in Geneva.

He has worked as a medical and dental clinician in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings in Ireland, and will return to a post at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin next year.
Outside of work, Dr Ahern is a sports and fitness enthusiast, and particularly loves being outdoors.

As part of his Fulbright, Dr Ahern is running the New York Marathon to raise money for the Boston Children’s Hospital.