Profile
Dr Eleni Hagi-Pavli completed her undergraduate study at the University of Birmingham and her PhD from Bart’s and the Royal London Medical and Dental School. She was appointed lecturer in 2005 in the Centre for Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences and promoted to senior lecturer in 2015.
Dr Hagi-Pavli has expertise in working with multi-disciplinary teams and enjoys the learning experiences and challenges that these opportunities bring to her research and teaching practice. Dr Hagi-Pavli has worked on Industrial collaborative studies with Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline requiring tight deadlines and milestones to develop novel toothpaste formulations and in vitro oral mucosal models for preclinical screening of new oral healthcare products. She has won Travel Fellowships from the Wellcome Trust and the Endocrinology Society for visits to the University of Pennsylvania Dental School.
Dr Hagi-Pavli is enthusiastic about nurturing future dental researchers and scientists and has considerable skills, knowledge and experience to contribute to an effective learning environment. She has successfully supervised students at all levels including clinical and non-clinical PhDs, Masters, iBSc, BSc and visiting scholar projects. Dr Hagi-Pavli has managed and successfully led Clinical Dental Postgraduate (PG) courses for over 12 years. Having coordinated, led and taught on the Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Clinical Sciences courses for 9 years, she more recently developed the MSc in Dental Science for Clinical Practice (DSCP) for overseas dentists wishing to orientate themselves into UK Dentistry.
Dr Hagi-Pavli was awarded a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in 2017 having achieved Fellowship (FHEA) in 2015. She was shortlisted for the Queen Mary Student Union (QMSU) Education Awards in 2014 for the ‘Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year Award’ and nominated for the ‘Drapers Awards for Excellence in teaching’ in 2009.
Dr Hagi-Pavli has been Member of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEM) since 2009. As a STEM ambassador, she has taken part in several public engagement activities including: Centre of the Cell Summer School Speed Networking Careers Event in July 2017, ‘Teeth and Eating: Dental Plaque & Bacteria’ (Primary School Workshops in Camden), ‘iDiscover Project Forum’ for primary schools in Hackney (aim was to link science and technology learning to STEM careers, especially for girls and pupils from a BAME background).
In August 2017, she was competitively selected from a QMUL wide application process and awarded a place on the Aurora Leadership Programme. Dr Hagi-Pavli completed her training in 2018 and continues to be an active member of the Aurora Alumni Network.
Centre: Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine
Teaching
Postgraduate (PG) Course Director:
MSc Dental Science for Clinical Practice (DSCP) 2014 to present
PG Diploma in Dental Clinical Sciences 2005-2015
PG Diploma in Enhanced Dental Clinical Sciences 2008-2014
PG Module Lead:
MSc in Experimental Oral Pathology (EOP) Research Project
MSc DSCP Literature Review & Clinical Audit
MSc DSCP Applied Principles in Clinical Dentistry
MSc DSCP Dental Clinical Skills
MSc DSCP Professionalism, Leadership and Communication
PG Teaching:
MSc DSCP
MSc EOP
Supervises 1-2 MSc EOP projects per year
Supervises DClinDent Periodontology research projects-currently supervise 4 DClinDent Research Students
PhD supervision
Currently supervises two PhD students
Undergraduate:
BDS Year 3 SSC project students (between 1-4 students per year)
BSc Biomedical Sciences Projects, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences (2 per year)
QM Model Educational Supervisor for Year 1 BDS
Committee Membership
Dentistry Taught Postgraduate Programmes Committee 2008 to present
Dental Graduate Studies Committee 2015 to present
Recognition of Teaching
Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) 2017
Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) 2015
Certificate in Learning and teaching (CILT) Med & Dent. Education 2008
Shortlisted for the Queen Mary Student Union (QMSU) Education Awards in 2014 for the ‘Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year Award’ and nominated for the Drapers Awards for Excellence in teaching in 2009.
Research
Research Interests:
Dr Hagi-Pavli’s research to date has focused on understanding the basic mechanisms regulating oral mucosal damage and repair with studies predominantly focused on 1) various aspects of the oral mucosa’s inflammatory response to intrinsic and extrinsic factors and 2) the signalling mechanisms by which adhesion molecules and cytokines are induced by vasoactive peptides and small organic and inorganic compounds.
Recently, her research has focused specifically on understanding the regulation of neutrophil recruitment to oral mucosal sites in health and in disease. Using in vitro oral mucosal model techniques and human clinical samples her research studies are directed towards understanding the mechanisms through which oral ulceration develops with investigations seeking to determine the factors, which influence severity of ulceration by focusing on what is happening in the epithelium. Her research aims to provide a greater understanding of the basic mechanisms that regulate oral mucosal repair, oral epithelial barrier function and recruitment of innate immune cells and interactions with the oral epithelium in health and disease.
Performance
I have expertise in working with multi-disciplinary teams and enjoy the learning experiences and challenges, which these opportunities bring to my research and teaching practice. I have also worked on Industrial collaborative projects requiring tight deadlines and milestones to develop novel toothpaste formulations and in vitro oral mucosal models for preclinical screening of new oral healthcare products.
From July 2006-March 2013, I was the Governance and Ethics lead, overseeing ethics applications in the Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences Centre. In conjunction with this role I also organised and coordinated the local bio-bank for clinical samples from Behcet’s Clinics at St Thomas’s Hospital and The London Behcet’s Centre of Excellence Clinics in (2006-2013)
Achievements in leadership
I have been managing and successfully leading Clinical Dental Postgraduate (PG) courses for over 10 years having led the Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Clinical Sciences courses for 9 years, I more recently developed the MSc in Dental Science for Clinical Practice (DSCP) and I have been the course Director for the MSc in DSCP since its launch in 2014.In August 2017, I was competitively selected from a QMUL wide application process and awarded a place on the Aurora Leadership Programme. My training will begin in the spring of 2018.
Achievements in administration support
Teeth and Eating: Dental Plaque & Bacteria’ Year 3 Workshop Brecknock Primary School, Camden, June 2013, May 2014 & May 2015‘iDiscover Project Forum’ for primary schools in Hackney. The project aimed to link science and technology learning to STEM careers, especially for girls and pupils from a BAME background, tackle stereotypes and improve science capital through the family The Big Bang Science Fair at the Excel CentreInspire to Aspire Project’ at Old Ford Primary School, Tower Hamlets. I visited the school on 3 occasions and spoke to Years 4, 5 and 6 regarding my educational and career choices that had led me to my present roleCentre of the Cell in the Blizard Building
Patient & public participation:
I was invited to write an article for Behcet’s Syndrome Society Newsletter detailing our research into Behcet’s Syndrome. ‘Does licking a cut finger speed up the healing? The repairing properties of saliva’ and have presented my research at patient forums.
I am a member of the patient led Behcet’s Syndrome Society.I have been a member of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEM) since 2009. As a STEM ambassador, I have taken part in several public engagement activities including: Centre of the Cell Summer School Speed Networking Careers Event July 2017
Teeth and Eating: Dental Plaque & Bacteria’ Year 3 Workshop Brecknock Primary School, Camden, June 2013, May 2014 & May 2015‘iDiscover Project Forum’ for primary schools in Hackney. The project aimed to link science and technology learning to STEM careers, especially for girls and pupils from a BAME background, tackle stereotypes and improve science capital through the family The Big Bang Science Fair at the Excel Centre
Inspire to Aspire Project’ at Old Ford Primary School, Tower Hamlets. I visited the school on 3 occasions and spoke to Years 4, 5 and 6 regarding my educational and career choices that had led me to my present role
Centre of the Cell in the Blizard Building
