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Dr. Brett Duane

Associate Professor in Public Dental Hea (Dental Science)
      
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Dr. Brett Duane

Associate Professor in Public Dental Hea (Dental Science)

 brettdu@tcd.ie

 


Brett Duane is an Associate Professor in Public Dental Health at Trinity College Dublin, and a honorary Professor at the University of Dublin. He is recognized internationally as the leading authority in sustainable dentistry and an influential force in the broader field of sustainable healthcare. Holding a PhD from Turku University and bringing over 30 years of clinical and academic experience from New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, and Ireland, Duane has established himself as a foremost authority in his field. Currently ranked as the third most prolific academic internationally in healthcare Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), his pioneering research has fundamentally reshaped global healthcare policy and practice. Duane"s research leadership is cantered on transforming healthcare systems through high-impact international consortia. He is the Lead PI for the €6 million EU Horizon KitNewCare project (2024-2027), which is revolutionizing kidney care by establishing a sustainable, carbon-neutral framework that serves as a blueprint for other medical disciplines. Building on this work, he leads a major work package (780,000 € TCD) for the Eu Horizon HERON project (2026-2030), where he is developing validated measurement frameworks for Scope 3 hospital supply chain carbon accounting and stress-testing climate resilience across European healthcare networks. To ensure a lasting global impact, he co-founded the Collaboration of Sustainable Healthcare Research, an international initiative designed to establish a credible framework for research priorities and foster global consensus in the field. His research and educational collaborations span continents, encompassing partnerships with individuals and organisations from Colombia, Chile, Canada, USA, Australia, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark. As an educator, Duane"s impact reaches beyond traditional boundaries; he founded Ireland's first Dental Public Health specialist program (2018) and introduced the country"s inaugural Certificate in Sustainable Healthcare (2024) through the Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH). Working with students in his Dental Public Health Specialty post graduate course, he conducts a number of dental public health projects across Ireland including critical evaluations of the oral medicine department, the oral cancer network, and electronic referral systems across England, ensuring the DDUH remains at the forefront of dental education and healthcare practice. He actively influences international dental education through advisory roles with the Irish, Australian, and British Dental Associations, and he has delivered over 50 keynote addresses at international conferences, including COP 21 in Glasgow and the Global Oral Health Summit. Within the EU Heron Project he develops education programmes for healthcare leads to lower the environmental footprint of procurement (the things we buy) He has now completed the supervision of 3 DChDent (Specialist in Dental Public Health) trainees, 2 PHd Students. He currently supervises one Post-Doctorate fellow, one Phd student (TCD), one Phd student (as a Visiting Professor, Dundee), and mentors another in Madrid. Within the Heron project he will be supervising an additional 3 PhD students (March 2027) Within the dental hospital, Duane has championed institutional innovation, initiating a comprehensive curriculum review in 2016 that systematically mapped 40,000 rows of educational interventions against regulatory standards. Duane's steadfast commitment to sustainability and his teaching abilities illustrate his dedication to advancing both the dental profession and global healthcare standards
  Carbon footprinting   Dental education   Dentistry   life cycle assessment   SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Project Title
 HERON
From
Jan 2027
To
Dec 20230
Summary
HERON (Hospital Efficiency and Climate Resilience through Optimised Networks) is a Horizon Europe-funded initiative (2026"2030) dedicated to hospital supply chain decarbonisation and strengthening climate resilience . The project addresses the "carbon majority" of healthcare"Scope 3 emissions, which originate from the supply chain (e.g., medical products, pharmaceuticals, and services) and represent approximately 71% of a hospital's total carbon footprint
Funding Agency
EU Horizon
Project Type
Sustainability in Health
Person Months
149
Project Title
 Kitnewcare
From
01/01/2024
To
31/12/2024
Summary
KitNewCare is a groundbreaking EU co-funded project spanning from January 2024 to December 2027, with a core objective of revolutionizing kidney healthcare into a sustainable, climate-neutral model. Recognizing healthcare's substantial contribution to global carbon emissions (estimated at 5-11%), KitNewCare targets kidney care due to its significant disease burden and resource footprint, aiming to establish it as a model for systemic sustainability change within healthcare. The project adopts a multifaceted approach, going beyond conventional methods by addressing the broader environmental impacts of healthcare products, services, and pathways. It implements a systematic methodology to pilot and benchmark interventions, evaluating their effectiveness in reducing environmental impact while maintaining high standards of patient care and improving outcomes. KitNewCare's vision extends beyond kidney care, aspiring to influence other medical fields and pave the way for a greener future across healthcare sectors. To achieve this, the project emphasizes collaboration among various stakeholders, including patients, healthcare professionals, NGOs, industry partners, and policymakers. Key strategies employed by KitNewCare include the creation of training materials to facilitate the integration of sustainability principles into medical practices, setting new standards for environmental responsibility. Additionally, the initiative undertakes research activities to generate insights, provide policy guidance, and raise awareness to advocate for a reduced environmental impact of the European Union's healthcare system. In summary, KitNewCare represents a concerted effort to transform healthcare delivery by integrating sustainability principles into practice, policy, and education. By pioneering innovative approaches and fostering collaboration across sectors, the project aims to establish a new paradigm for environmentally conscious healthcare, setting a precedent for global sustainability efforts in the medical field
Funding Agency
EU Horizon grant
Programme
Eu Horizon
Project Type
Sustainability in healthcare
Person Months
12
Project Title
 Sustainable health technology regulation: Mobilizing regulation to improve the environmental performance of health technologies
From
To
Summary
Mobilizing regulation to improve the environmental performance of health technologies. This project aims to generate and translate knowledge and identify policy options to improve the environmental performance of health technologies.
Funding Agency
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Person Months
1
Project Title
 Sustainability in Dentistry
From
To
Summary
Developing the Carbon footprint of Dentistry for NHS England
Funding Agency
Public Health England

Details Date
KitNewCare Consortium: Lead Principal Investigator of KitNewCare, a €6 million EU Horizon-funded initiative bringing together a 19-partner international consortium of academic healthcare institutions, industry partners and patient organisations. The consortium was established to develop and demonstrate a framework for environmentally sustainable kidney care, using a four-factor Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to identify environmental hotspots and evaluate technological, clinical and workflow interventions across European healthcare settings. The programme aims to provide a transferable model for system-wide sustainability transformation that can be applied beyond kidney care to other areas of healthcare. 2023-2028
HERON Consortium: Work Package Lead for HERON (2026"2030), a Horizon Europe initiative bringing together European healthcare, academic and industry partners to advance hospital supply-chain decarbonisation and climate resilience. Dr Duane leads the development of a validated Scope 3 carbon-accounting framework and a four-factor Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model integrating environmental, health, economic and social impacts. The consortium aims to strengthen the resilience of European healthcare supply chains, develop circular approaches to medical devices and provide practical frameworks for maintaining sustainable and continuous patient care in the face of climate-related disruption. 2026
International Collaboration of Sustainable Healthcare Research. Co-founder with the Nordic Center of Sustainable Healthcare. Focusses on creating a home for sustainable healthcare researchers. Conference October 2026. June 2026- ongoing
ECoHealth Working Group: Member of the international expert group established to develop standardised reporting guidelines for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in healthcare. The group developed the ECoHealth guidelines to improve the methodological rigour, transparency and consistency of healthcare environmental assessments, providing a structured reporting framework to support comparability across healthcare products, services and systems 2024-2026
Expert consensus group comprising academic and industry leaders, including AstraZeneca, dedicated to standardising environmental sustainability assessments (ESA) in healthcare . The group"s primary output is the development of a 30-point reporting checklist designed to ensure scientific rigour and transparency in Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) . By establishing these evidence-based frameworks, the group aims to provide formal guidance that helps clinicians and policymakers transition research into real-world sustainable medical practice 2023-2026
Membership of the Expert Body on Fluorides and Health 2017
Member Dental Council Working group "Managing Medical Emergencies with the dental setting" 2017-2018
Member working group: Scottish Dental Clinical Effetiveness Programme Prevention and Management of Dental Caries in Children 2006-2018
Centre for Sustainable Health Care 2015
National Dental Sustainability Advisory Group 2015
Consultant Australian Dental Association 2021
Malmo University; Worked with the University to promote sustainable healthcare 2019
Universidad de Javeriana: Worked with the University to promote sustainable healthcare 2019
British Dental Industry Association: Discussed with the BDIA how manufacturers could influence their production process 2019
Consultant British Dental Association: Provided advice on how the BDA could support the development of sustainable dentistry 2019
Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
Dutch Fluent Fluent Fluent
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
Spanish Medium Basic Medium
Details Date From Date To
British Dental Association 2014 2018
British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry BASCD 2017 2018
Australian Dental Association Sustainability Advisory Group 01/01/2021 01/12/2021
National Dental Sustainability Advisory Group 01/01/2015 2021
Yates C, Duane B, Maternal xylitol and mutans streptococci transmission., Evidence-based dentistry, 16, (2), 2015, p41-2 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Binks C, Duane B, Mother-to-child transmission of Streptococcus mutans., Evidence-based dentistry, 16, (2), 2015, p39-40 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Duane B, Xylitol and caries prevention., Evidence-based dentistry, 16, (2), 2015, p37-8 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Duane B, Further evidence that periodontal bone loss increases with smoking and age., Evidence-based dentistry, 15, (3), 2014, p72-3 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Thillainathan S, Duane B, Non-conventional caries management techniques for children show promise., Evidence-based dentistry, 15, (2), 2014, p43-4 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Duane B, Conservative periodontal surgery for treatment of intrabony defects is associated with improvements in clinical parameters., Evidence-based dentistry, 13, (4), 2012, p115-6 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Duane B, 5,000 ppm F dentifrice for caries prevention in adolescents., Evidence-based dentistry, 13, (2), 2012, p43-4 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Duane B, Home visits or telephone contacts may help prevent early childhood caries., Evidence-based dentistry, 13, (2), 2012, p39-40 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Duane B, Xylitol gum, plaque pH and mutans streptococci., Evidence-based dentistry, 11, (4), 2010, p109-10 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Duane B, Limited evidence of the effect of chlorhexidine varnish (CHX-V) on root caries., Evidence-based dentistry, 12, (2), 2011, p39-40 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED
  

Page 1 of 15
Duane, Ingeborg, Stancliffe, Carbon Modelling with Dentistry, Public Health England, July, 2018, Notes: [This comprehensive report provided considerable information on the carbon impact of dental services.], Report, PUBLISHED
Susan Murphy, Expert Reviewed, Review of DOCHAS Development Education Group: Finding Frames , by DOCHAS , 2014, Notes: [Expert reviewer on research design and stage one baseline data gathering exercise.], Review, PRESENTED

  


Award Date
FDS Ad Hominem- Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh 01/05/2025
Significant Contribution to Sustainable Healthcare, Trinity College Dublin 1/6/2024
As a globally recognised authority in sustainable dentistry and sustainable healthcare, I have led pioneering research and international initiatives that have helped transform the environmental evidence base for healthcare. I currently serve as Lead PI for **KitNewCare**, a €6 million EU Horizon consortium (2024"2027) developing a framework for environmentally sustainable kidney care, with approaches designed for wider healthcare application. I am also Work Package Lead for the **HERON project (2026"2030)**, where I lead research developing validated Scope 3 measurement frameworks and a novel four-factor LCA model to improve hospital supply-chain efficiency, sustainability and climate resilience across Europe. My international standing is demonstrated by my ranking as the **third most prolific academic author globally in healthcare Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)**. I also co-founded the **Collaboration of Sustainable Healthcare Research** to connect researchers and help shape the global sustainable healthcare research agenda. My involvement in the **EQUATOR EcoHealth Health Care LCA Guidelines group** further reflects my contribution to developing and standardising international scientific methods and reporting standards. My research is highly collaborative, with partnerships across **Colombia, Chile, Canada, Australia, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Denmark**. Notable achievements include a 2021 grant with the **University of Toronto** on sustainable health technology regulation and coordination of the **19-partner KitNewCare consortium**. My leadership also extends to education and professional practice: I have co-chaired the **ADEE Working Group** and provided expert consultancy to the **Irish, Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand Dental Associations**, supporting the integration of sustainability into professional education and practice. My academic contribution is reflected in **3,900+ Google Scholar citations, an h-index of 31 and an i10-index of 65**. Over the past three years, I have attracted approximately **€2.4 million in research funding to the Dental School**, the highest amount secured by an individual researcher during this period. I consistently produce the **second-highest annual publication output within the School of Dentistry** and lead its **largest research team**, which will expand further through EU Horizon HERON funding. My research has also achieved substantial **international policy impact**, with **47 citations in policy documents recorded by SAGE Policy Profiles**. It has informed guidance from organisations including the **World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health England, NHS organisations and the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment (SBU)**. Most recently, my research was cited in the **2026 WHO guidelines on environmentally friendly and less invasive oral healthcare**, as well as WHO publications on environmentally sustainable health systems and the **Global Oral Health Status Report**. The international reach of my work is further demonstrated by a **ResearchGate Research Interest Score higher than 95% of members** and more than **110,000 reads across 83 countries**. I have published more sustainability research in dentistry than any other author. This leadership was recognised by **Springer Nature**, which appointed me to lead and edit the first comprehensive textbook in the field, *Sustainable Dentistry: Making a Difference* (2023). I have also been invited to lead a chapter in the Springer open-access volume *Planetary Health " Implications for Health Care Practitioners*. Collectively, these achievements demonstrate sustained international leadership in advancing the evidence, methods, policy influence and professional standards required for environmentally sustainable healthcare.