Partnership to advance oral health in Western Sydney

The Sydney School of Dentistry  and the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) Oral Health Service have established a $1.4 million, three-year partnership to advance oral health services research and improve patient outcomes.

The collaboration, based at Westmead, aims to foster translational research and knowledge-sharing, while listening to and addressing the oral health needs of communities in Western Sydney. Professor Woosung Sohn and Dr Bradley Christian, from Population Oral Health at the Sydney Dental School have been instrumental in making this partnership a reality.

Combining Western Sydney Local Health Destrict Oral Health Service clinicians and Sydney Dental School researchers, the program will provide new research and engagement opportunities, improving health outcomes and service delivery. It emphasises translational research within clinical practice, ensuring that findings are directly applicable to patient care.

A research hub will be established at Westmead, located alongside the Western Sydney Local Health District Oral Health Service. This will foster collaboration and knowledge exchange, building a sustainable culture of research and innovation, accelerating the application of evidence-based practices.

Several key initiatives will be implemented to achieve the partnership’s objectives, including:

• Setting strategic research priorities: Identifying and advancing research areas of mutual interest to Sydney Dental School and Western Sydney Local Health District.
• Seed grant program: Funding Western Sydney Local Health District oral health research projects, with the potential for scaling through grants like the NSW Translational Research Grant Scheme.
• Joint PhD Scholarship: Supporting research in Western Sydney Local Health District oral health service priority areas to generate impactful insights.
• Capacity development activities: Offering training and mentorship for clinicians, registrars, and early-career researchers to promote a thriving research culture.
• Evaluation and benchmarking: Assessing current research activities to establish a baseline for future improvements.

“This mutually beneficial partnership will provide advantages for both organisations and the broader community, not only through the opportunity for strengthened research culture and output, but through the benefits of hands-on research and learning opportunities for students and early-career researchers," said Professor Heiko Spallek, Head of School and Dean of the Sydney Dental School.

There is also an emphasis on community engagement - acknowledging the benefits of involving lived experience in developing care models, ensuring needs are central to decision making.