Stephen James Challacombe FRC(Path), FDSRCS, FMedSci, (born April 1946) is professor of

oral medicine An oral medicine or stomatology doctor (or stomatologist) has received additional specialized training and experience in the diagnosis and management of oral mucosal abnormalities (growths, ulcers, infection, allergies, immune-mediated and autoim ...

at King's College in London, best known for research in oromucosal immunology and for developing the

Challacombe scale The Challacombe scale is a widely used diagnostic medical tool designed to produce a clinical oral dryness score (CODS) which quantifies the extent of dryness of the mouth, with the aim of making a decision of whether to treat or not, and to moni ...

for measuring the extent of dryness of the mouth. He led the team that laid out research challenges of global health inequalities and oral health, particularly relating to the oral manifestations of

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

. Challacombe was the Martin Rushton Professor of Oral Medicine at

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

and the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, a consultant in diagnostic microbiology and immunology to Guys & St Thomas Hospitals, and

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for external affairs at King's College London Health Schools. He has been an author, co-author, editor and co-editor of a number of publications and a recipient of several awards and fellowships. Medical societies of which he has been president include the

International Association for Dental Research The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a professional association, founded in 1920 by William Gies, that focuses on research in the field of dentistry. The aim of this association by constitution is to promote research in all f ...

, British Society for Oral and Dental Research, European Association of Oral Medicine and the

Hunterian Society The Hunterian Society, founded in 1819 in honour of the Scottish surgeon John Hunter (1728–1793), is a society of physicians and dentists based in London. Established by Dr William Cooke, a general practitioner, and Thomas Armiger, a surgeo ...

, and the world's oldest rugby club, Guy's Hospital RFC.

Early life

Stephen Challacombe was born in April 1946. He attended

Culford School Culford School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school for pupils age 1-18 in the village of Culford, miles north of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England. The headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Confer ...

, where he played sports including rugby.

Mucosal immunology

He initially worked in the field of

immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see there ...

. In 1978, he was appointed assistant professor and senior research fellow in the Department of Immunology at the

Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...

in the United States, and completed the fellowship in 1979. From 1984 to 2011, he was consultant in diagnostic microbiology and immunology to Guys & St Thomas Hospitals. During this time, he became professor of oral medicine in the department of Oral Medicine and Pathology at Guy's Hospital in 1986 and the Martin Rushton Professor of oral medicine in 1988.

Later career

Challacombe was appointed Director of External Strategy at the Dental Institute in 2005 and a year later became Dean for

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

KCL External Affairs, holding both posts until 2011. His experience has also included coordinating conferences and university departments, managing grants, finances and research, and teaching.

Challacombe scale

He developed the

for measuring the extent of dryness of the mouth in human beings. It was launched in 2011 at Tylney Hall in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

and has become widely used as a medical tool for assessing and monitoring dry mouth.

Global oral health

Challacombe became involved in clinical research in oral

and

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

, and has chaired international workshops on the oral manifestations of HIV infection in the UK, South Africa, Thailand, China, and India. In 1991 and 1993, he contributed to the consensus meeting on the classification of oral lesions in HIV. He was chairman of the International Steering Committee on Oral Health and Disease in HIV infection between 2000 and 2017. In 2011, he led the team that laid out research challenges of global health inequalities and oral health, particularly relating to

Noma Noma, NoMa, or NOMA may refer to: Places * NoMa, the area North of Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C., US ** NoMa–Gallaudet U station, on Washington Metro * Noma, Florida, US * NOMA, Manchester, a redevelopment in England * Noma Distr ...

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

sexually transmitted disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral ...

and

, four of the most serious global oral health infections. With regards to clinical signs in the mouth in AIDS, he identified a significant role for dentists. Later, using Sierra Leone as a case study to develop oral health programmes in low-income countries, he worked with the King's Sierra Leone Partnership's dentistry section, as a member of The Kings Centre for Global Health. In 2020, he co-authored a review which proposed using

povidone-iodine Povidone-iodine (PVP-I), also known as iodopovidone, is an antiseptic used for skin disinfection before and after surgery. It may be used both to disinfect the hands of healthcare providers and the skin of the person they are caring for. It may a ...

to reduce cross-infectivity of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, and highlighted the role of saliva in the transmission of the disease.

History of medicine

As a historian of medicine, his lectures have included a series on the London medical students at Belsen.

Awards and honours

Awards

Challacombe is a recipient of a number of awards including: *Colgate (Hatton) Research Prize, British Division, IADR (1977) *Kendall-Hench Research Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, USA (1978) *Basic Research in Oral Science Award, IADR. (1981) *Distinguished Scientist Award for Experimental Pathology, IADR, (1997) *

DSc DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

(h.c.),

University of Athens The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...

(2012) *American Academy of Oral Medicine Samuel Charles Miller award (2018) *Distinguished Alumni Award of the Mayo Clinic (2017).

Presidencies

He has been president of: *

(IADR) (2003) * British Society for Oral and Dental Research (2000–02) * British Society for Oral Medicine (1996–98) *Odontological section of

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chambers ...

(1997–98) *

British Dental Association The British Dental Association (BDA) is a registered trade union for dentists in the United Kingdom. Its stated mission is to "promote the interests of members, advance the science, arts and ethics of dentistry and improve the nation's oral he ...

(BDA) Metropolitan Branch (2000–01) * European Association of Oral Medicine (2008–10) *

(2006-7), (2018–19) *

History of Medicine Society Founded by Sir William Osler in 1912, the History of Medicine Society (formally "section"), at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), London, is one of the oldest History of Medicine societies in the world and is one of the four founder committees ...

(2019–20) He has also been president of the world's oldest rugby club, Guy's Hospital RFC.

Chairmanships

He was chairman of: *International steering committee on Oral Health & Disease in AIDS (2000–17) *Mucosal immunology group of the

British Society for Immunology The British Society for Immunology, or BSI, is a UK-based organisation of British immunologists but accepts members from all countries. It was founded in November 1956 by John H. Humphrey, Robin Coombs, Bob White, and Avrion Mitchison and is one ...

(1987-1992) * NIDCR OHARA External Experts Advisory panel (2007- 2013)

Fellowships

He is a fellow of the: *

Royal College of Pathologists The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) is a professional membership organisation. Its main function is the overseeing of postgraduate training, and its Fellowship Examination (FRCPath) is recognised as the standard assessment of fitness to pr ...

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom The Academy of Medical Sciences is an organisation established in the UK in 1998. It is one of the four UK National Academies, the others being the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. Its mission is to ad ...

(1998) *King's College, London (2010) *

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

Personal life

He is married to Tina and they have two children. In 2013, he joined the Board of Governors of Culford School. He also continues to support students of the world's oldest rugby club, Guy's Hospital RFC.

Writing

He has been an author, co-author, editor and co-editor of a number of publications including nine books, over 240 peer-reviewed research papers and 160 other works on various aspects of oral and maxillofacial medicine. These have included publications on induction of secretory immune responses, oral tolerance and on immunological aspects of the oral cavity. His interest on mucosal immunity in HIV and how HIV can present with signs in the mouth, has resulted in over 25 research articles.

Selected publications

Articles

*
“Salivary Antibodies and Systemic Tolerance in Mice after Oral Immunization with Bacterial Antigens”
''

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences The ''Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences'' is an academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the New York Academy of Sciences. It is one of the oldest science journals still being published, having been founded in 1823. The ...

''. June 1983,
"Oral mucosal lesions : what the general practitioner needs to know"
Wynnum, Qld (2009), DVD-ROM
"Beijing Declaration 2009"
''Advances in Dental Research'', 25 March 2011,
"Clinical assessment of oral dryness: development of a scoring system related to salivary flow and mucosal wetness"
''

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology ''Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal that covers research in oral surgery, medicine, pathology, radiology, and endodontics published by Mosby. It was originally established ...

''. November 2012, Volume 114, Issue 5, Pages 597–603, . (With S.M. Osailan, R. Pramanik, B. P. Shirlawb, G.B. Proctor)
"The mouth and AIDS: lessons learned and emerging challenges in global oral health: introduction"
'' Oral Diseases'', (2016) 22 (Suppl. 1), 5–6. . (With AR Tappuni and K Ranganathan)
"Global oral inequalities in HIV infection"
''Oral Diseases'' (2016) 22 (Suppl. 1), pp. 35–41
"Dry Mouth and Clinical Oral Dryness Scoring Systems"
''

Primary Dental Journal The ''Primary Dental Journal'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed medical journal aimed at primary dental care practitioners. It is published by SAGE Publishing on behalf of the College of General Dentistry, of which it is its official journal. The ...

'', 2016 Feb 1;5(1):77-79. . (With P. Das)
"Fortitude and resilience in service of the population: a case study of dental professionals striving for health in Sierra Leone"
''

British Dental Journal The ''British Dental Journal'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by Nature Research on behalf of the British Dental Association, of which it is an official journal. It was established in 1872 as the ''Monthly Review of Dental ...

'' Open. 2019; 5: 7. Published online 2019 May 13.

Books

''Advances in Mucosal Immunology : Proceedings of the Fifth International Congress of Mucosal Immunology''
co-authored with Thomas T MacDonald, Paul W Bland, Christopher R Stokes, Richard V Heatley, Allan Mcl Mowat Dordrecht,

Springer Netherlands Springer Science+Business Media, commonly known as Springer, is a German multinational publishing company of books, e-books and peer-reviewed journals in science, humanities, technical and medical (STM) publishing. Originally founded in 1842 in ...

, (1990), ,
''Food allergy''
co-authored with Jonathan Brostoff,

Saunders Saunders is a surname of English and Scottish patronymic origin derived from Sander, a mediaeval form of Alexander.See also: Sander (name) People * Ab Saunders (1851–1883), American cowboy and gunman * Al Saunders (born 1947), American footb ...

, (1998), ''Clinics in immunology and allergy'', v. 2, no. 1.
Food Allergy and Intolerance
co-authored with Jonathan Brostoff, Saunders (2002)
''Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine: The Basis of Diagnosis and Treatment''

Churchill Livingstone Churchill Livingstone is an academic publisher. It was formed in 1971 from the merger of Longman's medical list, E & S Livingstone (Edinburgh, Scotland) and J & A Churchill (London, England) and was owned by Pearson. Harcourt acquired Churchill ...