Professor Farida Fortune, CBE, BDS MBBS MRCP, FRCP, FDS RCSeng, FGDP, PhD, Dip Ed teachers Med/Dent
Dean of Dental Studies, Director-Clinical Academic Unit, Professor of Medicine in Relation to Oral Health, Head of Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences
Professor Fortune is Professor of Medicine in relation to Oral Health in the Centre for Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences (CDOS). She graduated in both Dentistry and Medicine from University College , University of London. In 1992 she obtained her PhD in University of London . She is on the specialist register for Oral Medicine in Dentistry (GDC), and Immunology in Medicine(GMC). She was appointed Senior Lecturer in Immunology and Honorary Consultant in Oral Medicine at UMDS (Guys and St Thomas Hospital). In 1998 she was conferred the title of Professor of Oral Medicine at Leeds University. In 2002 she was recruited to the Chair of Medicine in Relation to Oral Health at the Barts and the London , Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry.
She has extensive experience in teaching within both the undergraduate and postgraduate sector. She specialises in teaching the medical support subjects for Dentistry. Her expertise is in Assessment and Quality Assurance methodology. She is Chairman of the Examinations Committee Royal College Surgeons, faculty of Dental surgery.
Her clinical expertise is in Oral medicine, Immunology, and Oral manifestations of systemic disease.
Her main research focus is Epithelial biology including the mucosal diseases and oral cancer.
Publications:
Oluyori Kutulola Adegun, Pete H. Tomlins, Eleni Hagi-Pavli, Gordon Mckenzie, Kim Piper, Dan L. Bader and Farida Fortune. Quantitative analysis of optical coherence tomography and histopathology images of normal and dysplastic oral mucosal tissues. Lasers in Medical Science DOI: 10.1007/s10103-011-0975-1 Online First™, 18 August 2011
Moutasim KA, Jenei V, Sapienza K, Marsh D, Weinreb PH, Violette SM, Lewis MP, Marshall JF, Fortune F, Tilakaratne WM, et al. Betel-derived alkaloid up-regulates keratinocyte alphavbeta6 integrin expression and promotes oral submucous fibrosis.Hart IR, Thomas GJ J Pathol 223(3):366-377 Feb 2011
Teh MT, Ken Parkinson E, Thurlow JK, Liu F, Fortune F, Wan H. A molecular study of desmosomes identifies a desmoglein isoform switch in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J Oral Pathol Med 40(1):67-76 Jan 2011
Tomlins PH, Adegun O, Hagi-Pavli E, Piper K, Bader D, Fortune F. Scattering attenuation microscopy of oral epithelial dysplasia. Journal of Biomedical Optics. 15(6), 2010
Moutasim KA, Jenei V, Sapienza K, Marsh D, Weinreb PH, Violette SM, Lewis MP, Marshall JF, Fortune F, Tilakaratne WM, et al. Betel-derived alkaloid up-regulates keratinocyte alphavbeta6 integrin expression and promotes oral submucous fibrosis.Hart IR, Thomas GJ J Pathol 27 Sep 2010
Moutasim KA, Jenei V, Sapienza K, Marsh D, Marshall J, Fortune F, Tilakaratne WM, Hart IR, Thomas GJ. Alkaloid-dependent upregulation of AlphavBeta6 integrin promotes oral submucous fibrosis. Oral Dis 16(6):528-528 Sep 2010
Bernabe E, Marcenes W, Mather J, Phillips C, Fortune F. Impact of Behcet's Syndrome on quality of life. Oral Dis 16(6):545-545 Sep 2010
Begum SS, Tappuni AI, Abdelghani A, Seoudi N, Buchanan JAGB, Fortune F. Linear naevus sebaceous syndrome (LNSS). Oral Dis 16(6):563-563 Sep 2010
Abdelghani A, Tappuni A, Begum S, Makdissi J, Fortune F, Buchanan JAG. An unusual location for a salivary gland stone. Oral Dis 16(6):564-564 Sep 2010
Bernabé E, Marcenes W, Mather J, Phillips C, Fortune F. Impact of Behçet's syndrome on health-related quality of life: influence of the type and number of symptoms. Rheumatology (Oxford) 49(11):2165-2171 Nov 2010
Remmers EF, Cosan F, Kirino Y, Ombrello MJ, Abaci N, Satorius C, Le JM, Yang B, Korman BD, Cakiris A, et al. Genome-wide association study identifies variants in the MHC class I, IL10, and IL23R-IL12RB2 regions associated with Behçet's disease. Aglar O, Emrence Z, Azakli H, Ustek D, Tugal-Tutkun I, Akman-Demir G, Chen W, Amos CI, Dizon MB, Kose AA, Azizlerli G, Erer B, Brand OJ, Kaklamani VG, Kaklamanis P, Ben-Chetrit E, Stanford M, Fortune F, Ghabra M, Ollier WE, Cho YH, Bang D, O'Shea J, Wallace GR, Gadina M, Kastner DL, Gül ANat Genet 42(8):698-702 Aug 2010
Bergmeier LA, Adegun O, Seoudi N, Hamedi M, Hagi-Pavli E, Fortune F. Inducible human heat shock protein (hsp70) is elevated in the saliva of behcet' 28(4):S123-S123 Jul 2010
Seoudi N, Hagi-Pavli E, Bergmeier L, Stewart J, Curtis M, Fortune F. The oral health and microbiota of uk behcet's disease patients. Clin Exp Rheumatol 28(4):S124-S124 Jul 2010
Mather J, Marcenes W, Bernabe E, Phillips C, Fortune F. Symptoms Of Behcet's Syndrome In A Representative Group Of Adults In The Uk. Clin Exp Rheumatol 28(4):S127-S127 Jul 2010
Hagi-Pavli E, Macey M, Stewart J, Wallace G, Stanford M, Shirlaw P, Fortune F. Age, Gender And Disease Related Platelet And Neutrophil Activation In Behcet'S. Clin Exp Rheumatol 28(4):S128-S128 Jul 2010
Hagi-Pavli E, Bergmeier L, Khan I, Seoudi N, Fortune F. Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor (Slpi) In Behcet'S Patients Saliva. Clin Exp Rheumatol 28(4):S128-S128 Jul 2010
Hagi-Pavli E, Novak T, Bergmeier L, Seoudi N, Moeinian M, Fortune F. Plasma And Saliva Cytokine Profiles In Behcet'S Disease: Do Cytokine Levels In Plasma Correlate With Levels In Saliva? Clin Exp Rheumatol 28(4):S129-S129 Jul 2010
Waseem A, Ali M, Odell EW, Fortune F, Teh MT. Downstream targets of FOXM1: CEP55 and HELLS are cancer progression markers of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Oncol 46(7):536-542 Jul 2010
Tsang S, Liu L, Teh M, Wheeler A, Piper K, Grose R, Hart I, Garrod D, Fortune F, Wan H. Novel role for human desmoglein 3 in regulating E-cadherin mediated adherens junctions through Src family kinase activation Annual Meeting of the Society-for-Investigative-Dermatology, Atlanta, GA, 5 May 2010 - 8 May 2010. Journal Of Investigative Dermatology. Nature Publishing Group. 130: S33-S33. Apr 2010
Nunn H, Lalli A, Fortune F, Croucher Oral cancer screening in the Bangladeshi community of Tower Hamlets: a social model.. Br J Cancer 101 Suppl 2:S68-S72 3 Dec 2009
Kappen JH, Wallace GR, Stolk L, Rivadeneira F, Uitterlinden AG, van Daele PL, Laman JD, Kuijpers RW, Baarsma GS, Stanford MR, et al.Low prevalence of NOD2 SNPs in Behçet's disease suggests protective association in Caucasians. Fortune F, Madanat W, van Hagen PM, van Laar JARheumatology (Oxford) 48(11):1375-1377 Nov 2009
Mumcu G, Stewart J, Hagi-Pavli E, Gokani B, Seoudi N, Ergun T, Yavuz S, Stanford MR, Direskeneli H, Fortune F . Oral Health And Quality Of Life Status In Patients From Uk And Turkey: A Comparative Study In Behcet'S Disease. Clin Exp Rheumatol 26(4):S5-S6 Jul 2008
Mumcu G, Niazi S, Stewart J, Hagi-Pavli E, Gokani B, Seoudi N, Ergun T, Yavuz S, Stanford M, Fortune F, et al.Oral health and related quality of life status in patients from UK and Turkey: a comparative study in Behcet's disease. Direskeneli HJ ORAL PATHOL MED 38(5):406-409 May 2009
Gemenetzidis E, Bose A, Riaz AM, Chaplin T, Young BD, Ali M, Sugden D, Thurlow JK, Cheong SC, Teo SH, et al.FOXM1 upregulation is an early event in human squamous cell carcinoma and it is enhanced by nicotine during malignant transformation. Wan H, Waseem A, Parkinson EK, Fortune F, Teh MTPLoS One 4(3):e4849 2009
Curnow SJ, Pryce K, Modi N, Knight B, Graham EM, Stewart JE, Fortune F, Stanford MR, Murray PI, Wallace GR. Serum cytokine profiles in Behcet's disease: Is there a role for IL-15 in pathogenesis? IMMUNOL LETT 121(1):7-12 16 Nov 2008
Teh MT, Tilakaratne WM, Chaplin T, Young BD, Ariyawardana A, Pitiyage G, Lalli A, Stewart JE, Hagi-Pavli E, Cruchley A, et al. Fingerprinting genomic instability in oral submucous fibrosis. Waseem A, Fortune FJ Oral Pathol Med 37(7):430-436 Aug 2008
Kappen JH, van Laar JAM, Stolk LB, Uitterlinden AG, van Daele PLA, Stanford MR, Fortune F, Wallace GR, van Hagen PM. NOD2 (CARD15) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Protective In Behcet'S Disease. Clin Exp Rheumatol 26(4):S14-S14 Jul 2008
Shafi S, Stanford MR, Fortune F, Graham EM, Wallace GR, Hayday AC . Circulating Lymphocytes In Behcet's Disease. Clin Exp Rheumatol 26(4):S13-S13 Jul 2008
Tilakaratne WM, Iqbal Z, Teh MT, Ariyawardana A, Pitiyage G, Cruchley A, Stewart JE, Hagi-Pavli E, Lalli A, Waseem A, et al. Upregulation of HIF-1alpha in malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis. Parkinson EK, Fortune FJ Oral Pathol Med 37(6):372-377 Jul 2008
Wallace GR, Murray PI, Fortune F, Kanawati C, Madanat W, Vaughan R, Kondeatis E, Stanford MR Autoimmune Genetic Masterswitches In Behçet's Disease: Autoimmunity Or Autoinflammation. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 26(4):S15-S15 Jul 2008
Bye L, Modi N, Stanford MR, Kondeatis E, Vaughan R, Fortune F, Kanawati C, Ben-Chetrit E, Ghabra M, Murray PI, et al. CTLA-4 polymorphisms are not associated with ocular inflammatory disease. Wallace GRTissue Antigens 72(1):49-53 Jul 2008
Fortune F, Fortune A, Kelly K, Sargent J, McGuckin S, Quinn F, Haslam K, O'Brien D, Conneally E, Browne P, et al. T-Cell Large Granular Lymphocyte Leukaemia: Clinical Course And Response To Treatment. Thornton P, Vandenberghe E13th Congress of the European-Hematology-Association, Copenhagen, Denmark, 12 Jun 2008 - 15 Jun 2008. Haematologica-The Hematology Journal. Ferrata Storti Foundation. 93: 104-104. Jun 2008
Lalli A, Tilakaratne WM, Ariyawardana A, Fitchett C, Leigh IM, Hagi-Pavli E, Cruchley AT, Parkinson EK, Teh MT, Fortune F, et al. An altered keratinocyte phenotype in oral submucous fibrosis: correlation of keratin K17 expression with disease severity. Waseem AJ Oral Pathol Med 37(4):211-220 Apr 2008
Tilakaratne WM, Freysdottir J, Fortune F Orofacial granulomatosis: review on aetiology and pathogenesis. J Oral Pathol Med 37(4):191-195 Apr 2008
Kose O, Stewart J, Waseem A, Lalli A, Fortune F Expression of cytokeratins, adhesion and activation molecules in oral ulcers of Behçet's disease. Clin Exp Dermatol 33(1):62-69 Jan 2008
Harper LJ, Piper K, Common J, Fortune F, Mackenzie IC Stem cell patterns in cell lines derived from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J Oral Pathol Med 36(10):594-603 Nov 2007
Baranathan V, Stanford MR, Vaughan RW, Kondeatis E, Graham E, Fortune F, Madanat W, Kanawati C, Ghabra M, Murray PI, et al.The association of the PTPN22 620W polymorphism with Behcet's disease. Ann Rheum Dis 66(11):1531-1533 Nov 2007
Summers SA, Tilakaratne WM, Fortune F, Ashman N Renal disease and the mouth. Am J Med 120(7):568-573 Jul 2007
Bye L, Modi N, Stanford M, Kondeatis E, Vaughan R, Fortune F, Madanat W, Kanawati C, Murray P, Wallace G CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms 49A/G and-318C/T do not associate with Behcet's disease. INFLAMM RES 56:S405-S405 Jun 2007
Tilakaratne W, Iqball Z, Teh MT, Ariyawardana A, Pitiyage G, Cruchley A, Hagi-Pavli E, Lalli A, Waseem A, Parkinson K, et al.Up regulation of HIF-1 alpha in the progression and malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis. . 1st World Congress of the International-Academy-of-Oral-Oncology, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 17 May 2007 - 20 May 2007. ORAL Oncology. Elsevier Science Bv. 2: 204-205. May 2007
Freysdottir J, Zhang S, Tilakaratne WM, Fortune F . Oral biopsies from patients with orofacial granulomatosis with histology resembling Crohn's disease have a prominent Th1 environment. Inflamm Bowel Dis 13(4):439-445 Apr 2007
Hagi-Pavli E, Pleguezuelos O, Fazil BI, Stewart JE, Fortune F. Delayed healing of recurrent aphthous ulceration in Behcet's disease patients. Annual Congress of the British-Society-of-Immunology, Glasgow, Scotland, 20 Feb 2007 - 23 Feb 2007.Immunology. Blackwell Publishing. 120: 53-53. Mar 2007
Wallace GR, Kondeatis E, Vaughan RW, Verity DH, Chen Y, Fortune F, Madanat W, Kanawati CA, Graham EM, Stanford MR . IL-10 genotype analysis in patients with Behçet's disease. Hum Immunol 68(2):122-127 Feb 2007
Freysdottir J, Hussain L, Farmer I, Lau SH, Fortune F . Diversity of gamma delta T cells in patients with Behcet's disease is indicative of polyclonal activation. ORAL DIS 12(3):271-277 May 2006
Dalghous AM, Freysdottir J, Fortune F . Expression of cytokines, chemokines, and chemokine receptors in oral ulcers of patients with Behcet's disease (BD) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis is Th1-associated, although Th2-association is also observed in patients with BD. Scand J Rheumatol 35(6):472-475 2006
Stewart JE, Mumcu G, Curnow J, Wallace G, Stanford M, Fortune F . Saliva: contribution to inflammatory status in Bechet's disease. Immunology 116:85-85 Dec 2005
Wallace GR, Durrani O, Curnow J, Williams H, Hamburger J, Fortune F, Vaughan R, Murray PI . Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression in mouth ulcer biopsies from patients with Behcet's disease. Inflamm Res 54:S190-S190 Aug 2005
Yang X, Ahmad T, Gogus F, Wallace GR, Madanat W, Kanawati CA, Stanford MR, Fortune F, Jewell DP, Marshall SE . Analysis of the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5)Delta 32 polymorphism in Behcet's disease (vol 31, pg 11, 2004). Int J Immunogenet 32(3):219-219 Jun 2005
Yang X, Ahmad T, Gogus F, Verity D, Wallace GR, Madanat W, Kanawati CA, Stanford MR, Fortune F, Jewell DP, et al.. Analysis of the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5)Delta 32 polymorphism in Behcet's disease (vol 31, pg 11, 2004). Int J Immunogenet 32(3):219-219 Jun 2005
Ahmad T, Zhang L, Gogus F, Verity D, Wallace G, Madanat W, Fayyad F, James T, Neville M, Kanawati C, et al.. CARD15 polymorphisms in Behçet's disease. Fortune F, Celik A, Stanford M, Jewell DP, Marshall SEScand J Rheumatol 34(3):233-237 May 2005
Wallace GR, Pryce KM, Curnow SJ, Fortune F, Stewart JE, Modi N, Knight B, Stanford MR, Murray PI . Multiplex bead analysis of cytokines in serum from patients with Behcet's disease. Meeting of the Association-for-Research-in-Vision-and-Ophthalmology (ARVO 2005), Ft Lauderdale, FL, 1 May 2005 - 5 May 2005. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Assoc Research Vision Ophthalmology Inc. 46: . 2005
Murray PI, Durrani OM, Hamburger J, Williams H, Fortune F, Stewart J, Wallace GR . Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression in oral ulcer biopsies from Behcet's disease (BD) patients: A role for the innate immune system. Meeting of the Association-for-Research-in-Vision-and-Ophthalmology (ARVO 2005), Ft Lauderdale, FL, 1 May 2005 - 5 May 2005. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Assoc Research Vision Ophthalmology Inc. 46: . 2005
Nessim M, Sivaraj RR, Young SP, Fortune F, Stanford MR, Murray PI, Wallace GR . Metabonomic analysis of serum from patients with Behcet's disease: A new research tool? Meeting of the Association-for-Research-in-Vision-and-Ophthalmology (ARVO 2005), Ft Lauderdale, FL, 1 May 2005 - 5 May 2005. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Assoc Research Vision Ophthalmology Inc. 46: . 2005
Yang X, Ahmad T, Gogus F, Verity D, Wallace GR, Madanat W, Kanawati CA, Stanford MR, Fortune F, Jewell DP, et al.. Analysis of the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) Delta32 polymorphism in Behçet's disease. Eur J Immunogenet 31(1):11-14 Feb 2004
Chen Y, Vaughan RW, Kondeatis E, Fortune F, Graham EM, Stanford MR, Wallace GR . Chemokine gene polymorphisms associate with gender in patients with uveitis. TISSUE ANTIGENS 63(1):41-45 Jan 2004
Fortune, F. Human Disease For Dentistry. Oxford University Press, 2003
Stark P, Fortune F . Teaching clinical skills in developing countries: are clinical skills centres the answer? Educ Health (Abingdon) 16(3):298-306 Nov 2003
Chen Y, Stanford MR, Wallace GR, Vaughan RW, Kondeatis E, Fortune F. Factor V Leiden mutation does not correlate with retinal vascular occlusion in white patients with Behçet's disease. Br J Ophthalmol 87(8):1048-1049 Aug 2003
Hagi-Pavli E, Plequezuelos O, Seoudi N, Stewart JE, Shirlaw P, Wallace G, Stanford MR, Fortune F. Expression Of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor And Its Ligands In The Oral Cavity Of Behcet'S Disease Patients Clin Exp Rheumatol. 26(4):S9-S10 Jul 2008
Stewart JE, Mumcu G, Haque A, Hagi-Pavli E, Freysdot J, Direskeneli H, Shirlaw P, Wallace G, Stanford MR, Fortune F . Differential Cytokine Expression By Pbmc'S Of Behcet'S Patients: Influence Of Serum And Saliva. Clin Exp Rheumatol 26(4):S9-S9 Jul 2008
Chen Y, Vaughan R, Kondeatis E, Graham EM, Fortune F, Wallace GR, Stanford MR . Altered distribution of Polymorphisms in the promoter gene for IL-10 in patients with Behcet's disease but not those with idiopathic retinal vasculitis. Annual Meeting of the Association-for-Research-in-Vision-and-Ophthalmology, Ft Lauderdale, Florida, 4 May 2003. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Assoc Research Vision Ophthalmology Inc. 44: U607-U607. May 2003
Ahmad T, Zhang LN, Gogus F, Wallace G, Yang XS, Madanat W, James T, Neville M, Walton R, Welsh K, et al. NOD2/CARD15: a genetic link between Behcet's disease (BD) and Crohn's disease (CD)? Digestive Disease Week 2003 Meeting/104th Annual Meeting of the American-Gastroenterological-Association, Orlando, Florida, 17 May 2003 - 22 May 2003. Gastroenterology. W B Saunders co. 124: A373-A373. Apr 2003
Ahmad T, Wallace GR, James T, Neville M, Bunce M, Mulcahy-Hawes K, Armuzzi A, Crawshaw J, Fortune F, Walton R, et al. Mapping the HLA association in Behçet's disease: a role for tumor necrosis factor polymorphisms? Arthritis Rheum 48(3):807-813 Mar 2003
Fortune F . Can you catch Behçet's disease? J Lab Clin Med 141(1):5-6 Jan 2003
Ahmad T, Wallace G, James T, Bunce M, Mulcahy-Hawes K, Armuzzi A, Fortune F, Stanford M, Welsh K, Marshall S, et al.. Behcet's disease and TNF: A missing genetic link? Jewell DGUT 50:A14-A15 Apr 2002
Ahmad T, Wallace G, James T, Bunce M, Mulcahy-Hawes K, Armuzzi A, Fortune F, Stanford M, Welsh K, Marshall S, et al.. Behcet or Crohn disease? Combination HLA-B*51 and CARD15 molecular typing may help decide. Gastroenterology. 122(4):A301-A301 Apr 2002
Ahmad T, Wallace G, James T, Bunce M, Mulcahy-Hawes K, Armuzzi A, Fortune F, Stanford M, Welsh K, Marshall S, et al. Behcets disease and TNF: A missing genetic link? Gastroenterology. 122(4):A300-A300 Apr 2002
Ahmad T, Wallace G, James T, Bunce M, Mulcahy-Hawes K, Armuzzi A, Fortune F, Stanford M, Welsh K, Marshall S, et al. Behcet's or Crohn's disease? Combination HLA-B*51 and NOD2 molecular typing may help decide. . GUT 50:A15-A15 Apr 2002
Farmer I, Freysdottir J, Dalghous AM, Fortune F. Expression of adhesion and activation molecules in human buccal epithelial cell lines and normal human buccal epithelium in situ. J Oral Pathol Med 30(2):113-120 Feb 2001
Conference Abstracts
Adegun Ok , Tomlins P, Hagi-Pavli E, Mckenzie G , Piper K , Bader Dl , Fortune F, Quantitative Differentiation Of Normal And Dysplastic Human Oral Mucosa Using Optical Coherence Tomography Lasers Med Sci (2009) 24:825–837
O.K. Adegun, P. Tomlins, G. Mckenzie, K.M. Piper, E. Hagi-Pavli, D.L. Bader, And F. Fortune, A Potential Diagnostic Tool For The Oral Mucosa British Society For Dental Research Scientific Meeting, Glasgow, Scotland 1-4 September 2009 Iadr Confex
O.K. Adegun, L.A. Bergmeier, E. Hagi-Pavli, J. Stewart, N. Seoudi, M.A. Curtis, And F. Fortune, Elevated Human Hsp70 In The Saliva Of Behçet'S Disease Patients British Society For Dental Research Scientific Meeting, Glasgow, Scotland 1-4 September 2009 Iadr Confex
O.K. Adegun, P. Tomlins, G. Mckenzie, K.M. Piper, E. Hagi-Pavli, D.L. Bader, And F. Fortune, Optical Coherence Tomography As Potential Monitoring Tool For Oral Lichen Planus European Conferences On Biomedical Optics (Ecbo) 14–18 June 2009 Mj 47
N. Seoudi, L. Bergmeier, E. Hagi-Pavli, J.E. Stewart, O. Adegun, O. Pleguezuelos, M.A. Curtis, And F. Fortune,Tlr4 As Activity Marker In Behcet'S Disease British Society For Dental Research Scientific Meeting, Glasgow, Scotland 1-4 September 2009 Iadr Confex
Research interests:
Professor Fortune's is the Centre lead for CDOS which includes Oral Biology, Oral Microbiology, Oral Pathology, Oral Medicine, Oral Surgery and Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. The Centre provides teaching support for all the above specialties in the undergraduate Dental curriculum and participates in BSc course. CDOS also runs postgraduate courses in Diploma in Clinical Dental Science, Masters in Experimental Oral Sciences as well as a full programme of PhD students.
The centre has a very strong research focus. We have developing our research portfolio to encompass a basic and translational focus, which fits the wider research strategy of the Institute of Dentistry and QMUL. In the lat 3 years the Centre has invested in establishing a major research group in Oral Cancer within the Institute of Dentistry . We have built strong links with the local community, as well as international collaborators in countries where oral cancer has a major impact of health services. Oral cancer research will form a major focus for us in the next 10 years. Oral Oncology and also crosses several areas within both the Institute of Dentistry and the Institutes of Cell and Molecular Biology, Cancer, Engineering and Material Science at QMUL. Links within the Institute Of Dentistry are robust particularly with the Public Health group of Professor Croucher who has developed strong links with CRUK. A research driven clinical multidisciplinary clinic for the follow up of precancerous oral lesions will be embedded in the BLT academic units.
Development of Oral Cancer will not detract from the strong infection/inflammation research within CDOS. Indeed all specialties will have research embedded in both Oral Cancer and infection/inflammation. This research will be supported by the Clinical specialties within CDOS.
More recently she has been involved in the development of a technique called Scattering Attenuation Microscopy (SAM) with Dr Peter Tomlins, Dr Eleni Hagli-Pavli and Dr Oluyori Adegun that will be used for the early detection of oral cancer.
Alongside Oral cancer her primary research focuses on the role of inflammation and immune related mucosal diseases. She is especially interested in the influence of the genetic profile on inflammatory mucosal disease; the microenvironment changes and the genetic basis of oro-facial systemic diseases; the influence of inflammatory status on wound healing and the prognosis and the regulation of healing in normal, fibrotic and ulcerative lesions affecting the oral mucosa.
Her clinical expertise lies in systemic manifestations of oral disease. Some of these are:
• Specific mucosal immune mediated diseases
The vesiculo-bullous diseases e.g. pemphigus and pemphigoid; Renal diseases post renal transplant Haemato-onclogy after bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy
In the aforementioned specialties above, the mouth is an important site to assist in the diagnosis and monitor disease activity e.g. graft versus host disease, mucosal effects of abnormal blood count, or the direct effects of complicated medication regimes on the mucosa.
• Gastroenterology (inflammatory bowel diseases):
Professor Fortune has special expertise with patients with Orofacial granulomatous and Oral Crohn's disease. We run a joint Oro-gastric Clinic with the gastroenterologists and have established treatment protocols for these patients. Together with a major children's charity (CICRA) which funds our research have prepared information leaflets for children and parents with this problem.
• Immunology/auto inflammatory conditions:
It is not uncommon to make the diagnosis of HIV/Aids in our clinic with patients sent from the primary care sector. Behcet's disease is a major clinical research area and a specialist Behcet's Disease clinic takes place once a month at St. Thomas' Hospital. This is now the largest joint Behcet's clinic in the United Kingdom . We attract patients both locally and as far afield as Inverness, Wales, the South Coast, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. I also provide specialist opinion to our colleagues in Ireland . The clinic embeds clinical service with research. We form part of an established United Kingdom Behcet's Disease Network of clinicians, scientists and patient group representatives which meets 3-4 times a year to discuss difficult clinical problems, provide support for the patients group as well discuss research focus and strategy.
Rheumatology; we see the Sjogren's patients for diagnostic purposes as well as management of xerostomia. We also run joint salivary gland clinic with Maxillofacial Oral surgery, which provides a focus for rheumatology referrals and ensures that patients receive a clinical service with specialised expertise.
Her expertise in teaching resides in her expertise in assessment and quality assurance development. In addition she has contributed widely both undergraduate and postgraduate dental and medical education especially the specialty of Human Disease.