2OO9 – 2O1O - Faculty of Dentistry - University of Otago

MARY CULLINAN
BDS (Syd) MSc (Lond) FADI FICD
Oral Sciences
Research Associate Professor
In 2009/2010, Associate Professor Cullinan has had
published (or accepted for publication) a total of
21 research outputs, including 19 peer reviewed
articles, one book chapter and one edited book. Her
research platform has primarily been on the relative
contribution of various microbiological, genetic and
environmental (particularly smoking) risk factors to
susceptibility to periodontal disease. More recently,
this has involved utilising a metagenomic approach to
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and disease, as well as gene expression studies looking
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blood transcriptomes. Associate Professor Cullinan has
conducted several major longitudinal studies looking at
clinical and molecular risk for periodontal disease and
the impact of oral disease on systemic health, along with
evaluation of a psychologically based health promotion
programme. Her international reputation has led to
invitations to co-edit a volume of the high-ranking dental
journal Periodontology 2000 on the ‘Comparative biology
of chronic and aggressive periodontitis’ and to contribute
to reviews in Clinical Microbiology and Infection, the British
Dental Journal and the Australian Dental Journal. As a result
of her research, she was invited to be a keynote lecturer
by the Philippines Society for Periodontology in 2009, The
Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the
Australian Society for Periodontology in 2010.
Research and Collaboration
Associate Professor Cullinan’s research on understanding
risk for oral disease involves utilizing a metagenomic
approach and gene array technology to identify patient
susceptibility to periodontal disease. Several major
multidisciplinary longitudinal clinical studies are investigating
the impact of various biological and psychosocial factors
on oral health, the long-term effects of triclosan on thyroid
function and on the progression of chronic periodontitis
and the incidence of secondary cardiovascular events
in patients with coronary heart disease. As part of her
ongoing collaboration with Professors NP Lang (University
of Hong Kong) and MJ Faddy (Queensland University of
Technology), Associate Professor Cullinan is undertaking
ante-dependence modelling of the famous Sri Lankan
data set on the natural history of periodontal disease. In
addition, she is involved in studies looking at the effect of
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the effect of delayed, early and immediate placement
of implants in molar extraction sockets, the prevalence
of periodontitis and oral characteristics in ankylosing
spondylitis patients, and the impact of periodontal disease
on oral-health-related quality of life among Omani teachers.
Recent Publications
Schätzle M, Faddy MJ, Cullinan MP, Seymour GJ, Lang NP,
Bürgin W, Ånerud Å, Boysen H, Löe H. The clinical course
of chronic periodontitis V. Predictive factors in periodontal
disease. Journal of Clinical Periodontology 36: 365-371 (2009).
Armitage GC, Cullinan MP. Comparison of the clinical
features of chronic and aggressive periodontitis.
Periodontology 2000 53: 12-27 (2010).
Bohnstedt S, Cullinan MP, Ford PJ, Palmer JE, Leishman SJ,
Westerman B, Marshall RI, West MJ, Seymour GJ. High
Antibody Levels to P.gingivalis in Cardiovascular Disease.
Journal of Dental Research 89: 938-942 (2010).
Oral Biology. Molecular techniques and applications. Eds
GJ Seymour, MP Cullinan, NCK Heng. Springer New York
(2010).
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