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

ANITA NOLAN
BDentSc (Dub) LLM (Northumbria) MD (UCD) FFDRCSI
Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences
Associate Professor
Anita Nolan took up a post at the School of Dentistry at
the end of 2009, having previously worked as a full-time
clinical NHS Consultant in Oral Medicine in the UK, with
leading national roles in specialist training in dentistry,
quality assurance of specialist training, clinical negligence
and as the Dental Advisor on Drugs Harm to the UK
Government. Her current academic position at the
Faculty of Dentistry has given the opportunity to research
personal clinical interests and develop the two main
research themes on the oral aspects of Crohn’s Disease
and Sjogren’s Syndrome/Xerostomia. This research has
been supported by research grants awarded by Lottery
Health Research (2010), the Otago Medical Research
Foundation (2010), the New Zealand Dental Association
Research Foundation (2010) and the New Zealand Dental
Association/Ministry of Health Research Fund (2010).
Research and Collaboration
Associate Professor Nolan is the Principal Investigator in
the following two themes.
Current ongoing Oral Crohns’ Disease (Orofacial
Granulomatosis) research
An evaluation of the genetic associations between
Crohn’s Disease and Orofacial Granulomatosis (OFG).
Preliminary results reported that patients with OFG alone
or in combination with Crohn’s Disease demonstrated
a marginal trend towards Il23R, unlike the control
population. This is the first report of a genetic association
between OFG and Crohn’s disease and, if confirmed
in the ongoing larger national study, could highlight the
prognostic value of oral lesions in Crohn’s Disease. This
research also evaluates:
The diagnostic value of a patient self-reporting
questionnaire as a screening tool for Oral Crohn’s
Disease.
Quality of Life Studies in patients with Orofacial
Granulomatosis.
The significance of environment factors in Orofacial
Granulomatosis.
A comparison of genotype and phenotypes of Oral
Crohn’s Disease / Orofacial Granulomatosis in children
and adults.
Collaborators in Oral Crohn’s Disease Research:
Dr Rebecca Roberts, Biochemistry and Prof Murray
Thomson, Faculty of Dentistry. Medical Collaborators
include Dr Michael Schultz and Dr Pamela Jackson
(Dunedin), Associate Professors Richard Gearry and
Andrew Day, Christchurch Medical School and Dr David
Rowbotham, Auckland. International Collaborators include
Dr J Mansfield, University of Newcastle, UK, and Dr
Jeremy Sanderson, Kings College University, London.
Current ongoing Sjogren’s Syndrome/Dry Mouth/Oral Aspects
of Connective Tissue Research
Cell growth and survival characteristics (and in particular
p53 isoforms) in Sjogren’s Syndrome and Lymphoma.
This is collaborative research with Dr. Noelyn Hung
and Dr Tania Slatter, Principal Investigators, Department
of Pathology and with co-investigators Professor John
Highton and Mr Harsha de Silva. This is funded through a
HRC grant (Dr Slatter). Other Sjogren’s-related research
includes: “Quality of Life Studies in Sjogren’s Syndrome”
and “An estimation of Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth in
Sjogren’s Syndrome patients (PI). Research supervision on
this topic includes: “Saliva from Dry Mouth Patients and
Candida Albicans adhesion” (Co-supervisor of DClinDent
with Professor Richard Cannon, main supervisor); “The
Prevalence of periodontitis and oral characteristics in
ankylosing spondylitis patients (Co-supervisor, with
Associate Professor Mary Cullinan, principal supervisor);
and “An audit of dry mouth management by primary
health care professionals in the Dunedin area” (summer
studentship, principal supervisor).
Recent Publications
Nolan A, Badminton J, Maguire J, Seymour RA. An
evaluation of 0.2% Topical Hyaluronic Acid in the
management of painful Oral Lichen Planus. Journal of Oral
Pathology & Medicine 38: 299-303 (2009).
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