Prof Gerry McKenna

• Honorary Curator and Awards Administrator

Gerry is Chair of Oral Health Services Research and Gerodontology in the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast, where he leads oral health research.  Gerry is a specialist in Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry working as a Consultant in the Belfast NHS Health and Social Care Trust.  His clinical duties are based in the Centre for Dentistry, Queens University Belfast where he also provides clinical supervision and teaching for dental undergraduates and postgraduates.  His research is centred around optimising treatment options for older patients which positively impact their dental and overall health.  He has published over 150 peer reviewed articles and edited two textbooks.  His research has been supported by more than £10 million in competitive grants from the National Institute for Healthcare Research, the Dunhill Medical Trust, the Health Research Board and from industry.   

Gerry is the current president of the British Dental Association, Northern Ireland Branch and has previously been President of the British Society of Gerodontology, European College of Gerodontology and the Geriatric Oral Research Group within the International Association for Dental Research.  He holds a King James IV Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, an adjunct Professorship from University College Cork and is a visiting Professor in both the Federal University of Goais, Brazil and Zurich University. 

Gerry has been a member of the BSSPD since 2005 and is a previous recipient of the New Graduate Award (2006), the In-Training Award (2013) and the Schottlander Oral Prize (2014).