The Faculty of Dentistry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, has announced that Professor Chris Lynch has been elected Dean Elect of the Faculty and will become Dean in February 2023. Professor Lynch is currently Professor & Consultant of Restorative Dentistry at Cork University Dental School and Hospital, University College Cork.

He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Dentistry, the leading international journal in the field of Restorative Dentistry (2011 – present). Professor Lynch was awarded a Senior Doctorate by assessment from Cardiff University (2019), understood to be the first such recognition for an Irish-based dentist.

He holds a Principal Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy UK (2019). Professor Lynch is one of Ireland’s inaugural Learning & Teaching Research Fellows (National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2020). Professor Lynch received the Award of Excellence in Dental Education from the Association for Dental Education in Europe in 2014.

Professor Lynch has held a number of important leadership roles within the Faculty of Dentistry, including serving as Vice Dean of the Faculty (2019 – 2021), Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Faculty of Dentistry (2020 – present), and various senior roles of responsibility for Faculty examinations (e.g. Diploma of Primary Care Dentistry, MFD and FFD examinations), and various educational events (e.g. ‘Back to School’ webinar 2020, Fergal Nally lecture 2021, Annual Scientific Meeting 2020 and 2021).

He graduated from the Cork University Dental School in 1999 and worked in general practice in London before returning to Cork to take up a hospital post. He was awarded his FDS (Inter Collegiate Specialty Fellowship) by assessment in 2006.

Professor Lynch was appointed a Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at Cardiff University in 2006. He completed his PhD in 2007 and was promoted to Reader (2013) and then Professor in Restorative Dentistry & Dental Education in 2015. While at Cardiff University Dental School, he held a number of important leadership positions, including Lead for Prosthodontics teaching, Lead for Clinical Dentistry teaching, and Head of the Learning & Scholarship Department.

He holds a Visiting Professorship at Cardiff University, as well as current external examinerships at Bristol University, Peninsula Dental School and Hong Kong University.

To date Professor Lynch has published more than 200 full length papers in international peer-reviewed journals. He has been awarded Fellowships from the Faculty of Dental Surgery Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow, the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK), the Academy of Dental Materials, the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists.

Professor Albert Leung, the current Dean of the Faculty, said: “Many congratulations and a very warm welcome to Professor Lynch as our Dean Elect. This is a tremendous and most deserving achievement for Chris, and I immensely look forward to be working with Chris over the next year and beyond.”

The Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) was founded in 1963 with the core mission of advancing the science, art and practice of dentistry by the promotion of education, study and research. It is delighted to work with dentists in Ireland and from all around the world.

Tags: Faculty of Dentistry, RCSI