The RCSI School of Dentistry has made six significant faculty appointments as it prepares for the first intake of students on its new Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme. The appointments of Professor Peter Cowan, Dr Isabel Olegario, Dr Niamh Coffey, Dr Cathy Richards, Dr Genecy Calado De Melo, and Ms Mary Joy Soliman reflect the school’s commitment to delivering world-class dental education for the students on Ireland’s first community-based dentistry degree.

Professor Peter Cowan has been appointed Professor of Oral Surgery and Dental Anatomy. A specialist oral surgeon, Professor Cowan is a past Dean (2001-2004) and CEO of the Faculty of Dentistry, RCSI (2007-2018) and has been a senior lecturer and examiner for the Faculty for over 25 years. He is an Adjunct Visiting Professor at New York University.

Dr Isabel Olegario has been appointed Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics and Primary Care Dentistry. Dr Olegario joins RCSI from Trinity College Dublin where she was Assistant Professor in Paediatric Dentistry. During her Masters, PhD and Post-doctoral fellowship, she investigated different approaches for the management of dental caries in primary teeth. She completed her DChDent in Paediatric Dentistry in Trinity College Dublin.

Dr Genecy Calado de Melo joins the School as Lecturer in Operative and Primary Care Dentistry. Alongside his academic role, Dr Calado de Melo holds a clinical post as a Senior Dental Surgeon with the HSE. His main area of interest is oral medicine and diagnostics.

Dr Niamh Coffey has been appointed Senior Lecturer in Restorative and Primary Care Dentistry. Dr Coffey joins RCSI from UCC where she was Clinical Fellow in Restorative Dentistry. She is active in clinical practice and her main research interest is the link between oral health (specifically periodontitis), and systemic health.

Dr Cathy Richards has been appointed Lecturer in Dentistry. Dr Richards moved from the Molecular Medicine department, RCSI, where she was a Senior Post-doctoral Researcher in Oncology. She is a basic scientist and active researcher in difficult-to-treat cancers.

Also joining the school is Mary Joy Soliman, Senior Dental Nurse RDN, in Simulated Dental Learning Environment and Clinical Dentistry. Prior to joining RCSI, Ms Soliman was at the Dublin Dental University Hospital where she was an integral part of the Head and Neck Oncology Clinic, the on-call team, and one of the internal examiners for the Diploma of Dental Nursing.

Professor Albert Leung, Head of the RCSI School of Dentistry, welcomed the new faculty members: “We are delighted to have such experienced and expert academics join our team at this transformative moment for the School of Dentistry. Their combined expertise in operative, restorative, paediatric dentistry, oral surgery and dental education, will be instrumental in shaping Ireland’s first community-based Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme. As we prepare to welcome our first students this September, these appointments reinforce our commitment to innovation in dental education and expanding access to high-quality oral healthcare.”

Redefining dental education

RCSI’s Bachelor of Dental Surgery has been designed to meet evolving national healthcare needs by training dentists in community-based settings rather than traditional hospital environments. Its curriculum, developed in collaboration with the award-winning Peninsula Dental School at the University of Plymouth, will use an innovative approach that integrates early patient interaction, hands-on clinical training, and the latest advancements in dental technology.

Students will gain experience in Dental Education Centres currently being developed at Sandyford and Connolly Hospital (Blanchardstown), which will be equipped with state-of-the-art simulation labs and dental clinics.

The programme has received government and HEA support to provide 20 new dentistry places per year for Irish and EEA students, significantly increasing the number of dentists trained in Ireland.