The Global Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Mona's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
About Mona
Current roles and responsibilities:
- Director of Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (PIHR);
- Professor in Clinical Epidemiology and Oral Health Research (Dental School, University of Plymouth);
- Co-lead of Oral health services, workforce development and clinical epidemiology research group;
- Lead/contact point for Dental academic clinical fellows at University of Plymouth;
- Co-Convenor, Cochrane Priority setting Methods Group;
Qualifications
- MSc in Astrophysics, Liverpool John Moores University (2024) (Dissertation: How does a neural network model for measuring spatial inclination of spiral galaxies perform against more traditional models of measuring inclination of spiral galaxies)
- PhD (Health Services Research/Clinical Epidemiology) 2018 Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Plymouth (Dissertation: Setting priorities for conducting and updating systematic reviews)
- Postgraduate certificate (PgCert) Clinical Education 2013 University of Plymouth
- MSc in Dental Public Health, 2009, University of London (King's College of London) (Dissertation: Patient record systems in Dentistry: a systematic review)
- DDS (Doctorate in Dental Surgery), 2005, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU) (Tehran, Iran) (Dissertation: Antimicrobial Activity of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA), Portland cement and Calcium Hydroxide against five oral microorganisms - in partnership with Pasteur Institute in Tehran).
Other Training:
- Interactive Space Programme 2020 (ISP20), International Space University – 2020
- Data Science Programmes (PenARC Health Services Modelling Associate Programme)
- Building Cost-effectiveness Models for Health Technology Assessment – CPD course (Sheffield University)
Dr Mona Nasser DDS, MSc, PhD, FHEA
I am an experienced scientist and visionary research leader with 20 years of experience, contributing to funding applications totalling over £3 million from organizations such as NIHR, the EU, the MPS Foundation, and the British Council. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals, including The Lancet, BMJ, and Cochrane, my work has significantly influenced practice and policy within health research.
As a Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Oral Health Research at the University of Plymouth and Director of the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research, I lead research driven by a central question: How can research better meet the needs of the diverse stakeholders it aims to serve? My work emphasizes aligning research priorities with the needs of patients, clinicians, and policymakers, striving to bridge the gap between stakeholder requirements and funded studies.
My research primarily focuses on two interconnected areas, shaped by stakeholder consultations and my unique experiences as a dentist, a methodologist in a policy institute, and a PPL-certified pilot and skydiver:
- Building Evidence-Based, Inclusive, Tech-Driven Health Research Systems
- Exploring Health and Human Interaction with Complex Systems in Stressful or Extreme Environments
I have developed and led innovative frameworks for research priority-setting, evaluation of funding processes, and addressing biases in study design. My projects include addressing dental anxiety, improving dental care for individuals with disabilities, and conducting systematic reviews of preclinical and clinical research in space medicine.
I was a visiting fellow (2023-2024) at the Berlin Institute of Health/QUEST Centre, working with Prof. Ulrich Dirnagl's group on methods for appraising and synthesizing in-vitro studies in a systematic review. Prior to joining the dental school, I served as a research associate and methodologist in the Department of Health Information at the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), the German equivalent of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK. My work focused on assessing evidence to inform reports commissioned by the Federal Joint Committee (GBA). During my tenure at IQWiG, I co-authored a report commissioned by the Commonwealth Fund, comparing evidence-based healthcare processes in France, Germany, England, and Australia to inform the Comparative Effectiveness Bill in the USA.
I am also a reviewer for UK and European funding agencies and for BMJ open, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, Nature Communication, and other journals.
Leadership and Collaboration
I have fostered strategic partnerships across local, national, and international organizations, serving on non-profit boards and facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex societal challenges. As co-founder and chair of the Cochrane Priority Setting Methods Group, my methodologies have been widely adopted by organizations like Cochrane and WHO. I was on Board and Steering Group of Cochrane Collaboration and Evidence based Research Group. These contributions earned me the prestigious Bill Silverman Award in 2012. Additionally, I lead an Artificial iNtelliGence and roboticS in denTistry (ANGST) lab, advancing technological solutions in oral health.
I served as the REF coordinator for UoA3 during REF 2021 and was included in both REF 2014 and REF 2021, submitting an impact case study for each. My REF 2014 impact case study, “Advancing Methods for Prioritizing Health Research,” received high praise from the REF panel for its reach and significance: “Some of the case studies were considered to be of very considerable impact in terms of their reach and significance, especially in relation to genetic counseling competencies and prioritizing health research.” My REF 2021 impact case study highlights the influence of my work on the policies and processes of health research funders, demonstrating its value in enhancing the effectiveness of research.
Equity in Action: Community Engagement and Collaborative Research Design
Throughout my career, I have prioritized community engagement and inclusivity, ensuring that research and innovation are accessible and responsive to diverse societal needs. I have designed and led initiatives that bring together patients, clinicians, policymakers, and marginalized groups to co-create solutions that address real-world challenges. For example, my project *Caring Beyond Words* fosters creativity and innovation in dental care for individuals with intellectual disabilities, while my work on the *AngST* project explores stress and anxiety triggers in dental clinics, empowering both patients and healthcare providers. I also developed an equity framework for research priority setting, designed to identify areas where disadvantaged groups have been excluded from decision-making processes. This framework has been piloted in collaboration with researchers in Malaysia, enabling communities to actively participate in shaping research priorities. As a visual and speculative artist, I further leverage creative approaches to engagement through initiatives like Meta-Futurism, where I collaborate with communities to envision inclusive futures and unlock collective intelligence. These efforts demonstrate my commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, promoting equity, and amplifying underrepresented voices in research and policy development.
Beyond Academia
Beyond my scientific endeavours, I am a visual and speculative artist, championing community-driven futurism through initiatives like Meta-Futurism, a collaboration I founded to unlock collective intelligence and envision inclusive futures. I have designed virtual space exploration simulations and hosted international workshops, rethinking life on other planets and fostering new perspectives on climate and environmental engagement.
I am passionate about the intersection of art and science and how it can provide insight into complex issues and problems.
I am also a PPL (private pilot license) pilot, skydiver, and paraglider. I have participated in a four-way skydiving competition Rookie team and flew navigational flights between UK and France.
Active Projects
- CAREscape - Climate-Adaptive Reimaginings for Enhancing Healthcare Spaces of the Future project (funded by British Council)
- Caring Beyond Words: Fostering innovation and creativity in dental care for individuals with intellectual disabilities (NIHR Programme Development Grants)
- Orbiting Life: Design, Launch & Recovery of Life Science Payloads for Space Research (UoP R&D Solutions Fund)
- AngST project – Studying the non-verbal tells of anxiety in dental practice (MPS Foundation-funded)
- PRIDE project - Privacy-preserving Robotics in Dentistry
- STARS - Systematic Threat Analysis of Radiation from Space systematic reviews project
- Methodologies for Agenda setting and Research Prioritisation (MARS)
- Cochrane Priority Setting Methods Group
- Feasibility of Human Physiological and Cognitive Responses in Extreme Analogue Environments: Multidisciplinary Investigations into Vision, Perception, Masticatory Functions and Environmental Empathy as part of Caving Analog Mission: Ocean, Earth, Space (CAMões)
- NGO decision making during complex disasters: an ecological approach (funded by Brown University, Centre for human Rights and Humanitarian studies
Supervised Research Degrees
Previous research students and staff:
Nicholas Peres - Bridging the Gap: Technological Mediation and the Development of Humanistic Skills in Medical Simulation: Lessons from Covid-19 and the Impact of Immersive Media and Minimal Viable Simulation (MVS) (Co-supervisor/ PhD) 2024
Alexander Pollard - Academic Clinical Fellows in Restorative Dentistry Nicole Thomas (Director of studies/PhD) Oral Health Literacy Intervention (2022)
Alexander Legge- Academic Clinical Fellow in Primary care/ MClinRes student - The impact of enhanced PPE on clinical performance and communication
Tom Thompson - postdoctoral fellow in oral health inequalities (2020-2021)
Jacqui Knight - Visiting Specialist on the project (Enhancing the acquisition of soft skills, sensitivity and anticipation in training clinical dentists) (2021)
Agatha Haines, Ideas Exchange: Design and the post bio-tech-body(Co-supervisor), PhD as part Cognovo project
Anastasios Plessas (Director of studies), ResM, Impact of stress on the practice of dentistry
Zoe Allen (co-supervisor), PhD, Exploring the referral interface between general dental practice and salaried dental services
Jaysan Charlesford and Martha Paisi: (Postdoctoral fellows in Oral Health Inequality - investigating the impact of a community and patient centred Dental School on the existence and gradient of oral health inequalities in Devon and Cornwall (ICOD project).
Klara Łucznik and Mihaela Taranu - (Postdoctoral fellows) ColLaboratoire 2020 project
Visiting Researchers:
Yvette Gonzalez, MPH, Senior Climate Researcher, Sky Indicators project
Gulcan Tecrili - Health Economist, Turkish Ministry of Health (Supported by Short Scientific Mission (STSM) COST EU Action EVBRES)
Sumanth Kumbargere - Faculty of Dentistry (Manipal University, Melaka campus)
Shiamaa Al Mashhadani - Dental Services Department, Dubai Health Authority
Alexandru-Petru Vasile - Intern, European Space Agency, Cologne, Germany (Supported by Short Scientific Mission (STSM) COST EU Action EVBRES)
