Celebrating a Career of Dedication and Leadership at PDSE

PDSE Chief Executive awarded 2026 Churchill Fellowship to explore the oral health of the ageing population in Japan

We are delighted to announce that our Chief Executive Officer, Professor Rob Witton, has been selected as a 2026 Churchill Fellow as part of the Churchill Fellowship’s Health and Wellbeing programme. Rob is one of 109 individuals from across the UK chosen to undertake an international learning project aimed at bringing innovative ideas and practical solutions back to benefit communities, services and policy in the UK.

The Churchill Fellowship supports UK professionals to learn from leading practice around the world and apply those insights to some of society’s most pressing challenges. Fellows explore a wide range of topics and use their learning to influence positive change in their sectors and communities.

Rob’s Fellowship project, “Improving the oral health of the ageing population”, will focus on learning from Japan, a country with the highest life expectancy in the world and a long-standing commitment to promoting healthy ageing.

During his Fellowship, Rob will examine how Japan’s approach spans national policy, the education of dental students and qualified dental professionals, and the delivery of oral healthcare services within local communities. He will also explore how Japan’s Ministry of Health collaborates with the dental profession, local authorities and communities to deliver the country’s well-known ’80/20′ initiative, which aims for all 80-year-olds to retain at least 20 functional natural teeth.

As the UK’s population ages, maintaining good oral health is becoming an increasingly important aspect of healthy ageing. Poor oral health can significantly affect quality of life, impacting comfort, nutrition, independence and overall wellbeing.

Reflecting on his motivation for the Fellowship, Rob commented: “My motivation for this stems from the lack of a coherent England strategy for addressing oral healthcare needs in the older population. Sadly, poor oral health is common in older adults, which can lead to chronic pain, difficulty eating, and potential nutritional deficiencies. Poor oral health is also linked to serious systemic health conditions such as aspiration pneumonia and heart disease.”

Through the Fellowship, Rob will connect with policymakers, educators, clinicians and community organisations across Japan to better understand the systems, policies and partnerships that support positive oral health outcomes in later life. He hopes to identify practical ideas and evidence that could help shape future policy and improve oral healthcare for older people in England.

The knowledge and insights gained through the Fellowship will help inform future thinking around oral healthcare and healthy ageing, supporting efforts to improve health, wellbeing and quality of life for older people across England.

We congratulate Rob on this fantastic achievement and look forward to sharing updates from his Fellowship and the lessons he brings back from Japan.

Find out more about the Churchill Fellowship and the 2026 Fellows here.