Professor Albert Leung has been appointed Professor of Dentistry and foundation Head of the new School of Dentistry at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Professor Leung will lead the School of Dentistry in advancing plans to launch a Bachelor of Dental Surgery. Subject to regulatory approval and the conclusion of agreements with government, the programme will welcome its first cohort of students in 2025 and become the first community-based undergraduate dentistry degree in Ireland.   

The programme will be delivered under the leadership of Professor Leung, who is now progressing with preparations and recruiting key faculty roles. Its curriculum has been developed in partnership with the award-winning Peninsula Dental School at the University of Plymouth and has been designed to equip graduates to deliver excellence in dental care for patients in a primary care setting, improving their oral and general health near where they live.  

Professor Albert Leung served as Dean of the RCSI Faculty of Dentistry between 2020 and 2023. He has achieved international distinction including receipt of the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) Excellence in Dental Education Mature Career Award – one of the highest international accolades in dental education.  

Professor Leung has published widely in his area of research expertise: integrated restorative-based total patient care and innovations in dental education. He has successfully supervised over 100 master's dissertations as Programme Director of Restorative Dental Practice at University College London Eastman Dental Institute (UCL).  

The new school will build on a heritage of undergraduate dental education at RCSI and will complement the very successful Faculty of Dentistry at RCSI, which provides postgraduate and specialist training and assessments to over 1,500 dentists annually, awarding membership and fellowship qualifications. 

Welcoming Professor Albert Leung’s appointment, Professor Cathal Kelly, Vice-Chancellor, RCSI, said: “RCSI has a rich heritage in dental education and a track record of innovating in response to evolving healthcare needs. Ireland has a chronic shortage of dentists, a situation that is impacting oral and general health.

“We look forward to working with the Department of Health and the HSE to contribute to improved oral health in the population. I wish Professor Leung and his colleagues every success as they prepare to launch the new Bachelor of Dental Surgery and look forward to seeing the first cohort of graduates emerge in 2030, ready to practise in the community.”