Rate My Professor Kate Newsham-West

Dr Kate Newsham-West is a Specialist Prosthodontist and Senior Professional Practice Fellow in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation within the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago. Her academic qualifications include a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (DClinDent) in Prosthodontics, a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Higher Education, and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). She currently serves as the Programme Lead for the Postgraduate PGDipClinDent programme, Clinical Co-ordinator for the Undergraduate DENT551 and DENT561 papers, and provides extensive clinical supervision and academic support to students. Additionally, she acts as an examiner for undergraduate BDS clinics across all years and supervises research projects while serving as an examiner for BDS(Hons) DENT580 and DENT581. As a committee member for BDS Year 5 in the Faculty of Dentistry, she contributes to curriculum development and student assessment. Her clinical expertise encompasses prosthodontics, general dentistry, and forensic odontology.

Dr Newsham-West's research focuses on dental education, with contributions to understanding student experiences in interprofessional competencies, clinical reasoning, and decision-making frameworks. Notable publications include "Intertwined, multidirectional and interactive: A qualitative study of students’ experiences of interprofessional competencies during an oral pathology module" by Ronayne et al. (2025, Focus on Health Professional Education); "Mechanical and adhesive properties of additively manufactured dental tray materials with variable sustainability profiles" by Clarkson et al. (2025, Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials); and a book chapter "Adhesion of yeast and bacteria to oral surfaces" by Cannon et al. (2023, Oral Biology: Molecular Techniques and Applications). She has also co-authored conference proceedings such as "Clinical reasoning in dentistry: A student perspective" (2020) and "Building a multi-professional framework for interpreting undergraduate students' experiences of learning decision-making" (2020). Furthermore, she co-authored "An Intervention Study: Does a Cognitive Reappraisal Technique Reduce the Perceived Stress in Fourth-Year Dental Students in New Zealand?" (2019, International Journal of Dentistry). She is affiliated with the Sir John Walsh Research Institute for dental education research and holds memberships in the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, International Association of Dental Research, New Zealand Association of Prosthodontists and Restorative Dentists, Academy of Australian and New Zealand Prosthodontists, International College of Prosthodontists, New Zealand Society of Forensic Odontology, and New Zealand Dental Association. Through her multifaceted roles, Dr Newsham-West significantly influences dental education and clinical practice at the University of Otago.