Professor Paul M Speight
PhD, BDS, FDSRCPS, FDSRCS (Eng), FDSRCS (Edin.), FRCPath

Professor and Head of Oral Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, Sheffield

Background

Paul Speight qualified in dentistry at the University of Manchester in 1978, and after general clinical training was awarded a Medical Research Council Training Fellowship for research in oral pathology and biology at the University of Dundee. He gained his Fellowship in Dental Surgery (FDSRCPS, Glasgow) in 1982 and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1984. During time as Postgraduate Clinical Tutor in Dentistry in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia he established clinical training pathways for Saudi dentists and created links with the United Kingdom Royal Colleges of Surgeons which thrive today.
In 1985 he was appointed Senior Lecturer in Oral Pathology at the Royal London Hospital Medical College Dental School, gaining his MRCPath in 1989. In 1990 he was appointed Senior Lecturer and Consultant at the Eastman Dental Institute and Hospital. He was promoted to Professor in 1997 when he gained his FRCPath. From 1994 to 2003 he was Professor and Head of the Unit of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology at the Eastman Dental Institute and between 2002 - 2003 was Head of Cellular Pathology at University College London Hospitals NHS Trust. In September 2003 he moved to the Chair of Oral Pathology at the University of Sheffield.

Clinical Expertise

Professor Speight is a diagnostic histopathologist with special expertise in odontogenic and bone tumours of the jaws, salivary gland tumours and mucosal pathology.

Research Interests

His main research interests are in the field of oral cancer. Areas of special interest include the role of cell adhesion molecules in oral cancer and regulation of epithelial cell behaviour, and investigations of potential biomarkers in head and neck cancer.
He has undertaken a number of studies to evaluate the feasibility of oral cancer screening and is involved in health services research including epidemiological studies of oral cancer, computer simulation modeling for high-risk groups and studies of cost-effectiveness benefit analysis of oral cancer treatments and screening.

Publications

Over 140 original papers and five chapters to specialist textbooks.

Current National and International Assignments

• Immediate Past-President of the British Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
• President-elect and Treasurer and Member of Council of the International Association of Oral Pathologists.
• Editor-in-Chief, Archives of Oral Biology.
• Member of Clinical Dentistry Sub-panel, RAE 2008
• Specialty advisor in Oral Pathology to the Royal College of Pathologists
• Chairman, Oral Pathology subcommittee of the Specialty Advisory
  Committee for the Additional Dental Specialties. (SAC, ADS).
• Member of the SAC for Histopathology, Royal College of Pathologists
• Member of Editorial Boards, Oral Diseases, Oral Oncology, Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine.
• Member, Department of Health, Clinical Advisory Group, on Oral Health Assessment
• Member, Department of Health, advisory committee on Dataset for Head and Neck Oncology (DAHNO)