Vida Zohoori is a Professor of Public Health and Nutrition, and an internationally recognised scholar whose research focuses on fluorides and their impact on public health. Her work spans diverse age groups, including pregnant women, young children, and the elderly, and has made significant contributions to global health initiatives. Professor Zohoori’s research is closely aligned with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) work on fluoride and oral health, where she has played an instrumental role in shaping policy and best practices.

She has served as an expert panel member for the WHO Global Oral Health Programme, focusing on the optimal use of fluoride, and was the rapporteur at the prestigious ‘Fluoride Symposium: Guidelines for Fluoride Intake—Are They Appropriate?’ in San Francisco, USA. Her groundbreaking research on fluoride metabolism has been pivotal in informing WHO guidelines, notably the 'Monitoring of Renal Fluoride Excretion in Community Preventive Programmes on Oral Health'.

Professor Zohoori has delivered keynote lectures and high-profile presentations at leading academic and research institutions worldwide. These include Indiana University (USA), the University of Washington School of Medicine (USA), the WHO Collaborative Centre for Oral Health (India), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS, India), Harbin Commerce University (China), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru), and São Paulo University (Brazil). In addition, she has actively participated in leading international forums, such as the ‘Researcher Links Workshop on Fluoride Metabolism’ in Brazil, the ‘Milk Fluoridation’ meeting in Spain, and a major fluoride symposium in Hungary, further cementing her status as a global authority in fluoride research and public health.

• Fluoride metabolism including interaction of fluoride with other nutrients
• Development of biomarkers for fluoride exposure
• Genetic and fluoride metabolism
• Fluoride and gut microbiome

Recent projects:

Development of new natural biochar for waste management [Co-Investigator].  Innovate UK/ African Agriculture Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (2024-2026)

Effects of milk supplemented with fluoride and/or probiotics on controlling cariogenic biofilm growth using an in vitro experimental model [Principal Investigator]. The Borrow Foundation. (2022-2025)

Improving the oral hEalth of oLder aDults using milk supplEmented with fluoRide and probiotics (ELDER) [Principal Investigator]. Eklund Foundation for Odontological Research and Education (2022-2026)

Urinary fluoride parameters in spot urine samples associated with exposure to systemic fluoride through fluoridated toothpastes, waters, salts and milks [Principal-Investigator]. Borrow Foundation (2019-2024)

Advanced manufacturing of biochar in UK/China/Malaysia/Nigeria. [Co-Investigator]. British Council and Ministry of Education China; UK-China-BRI Countries Education Partnership Initiative (2020-2024)

FLuOridated WAter: Public Values & Evaluation of Cost-Benefit (FLO-WAVE) [Co-Investigator]. The Borrow Foundation (2022-2023).

Ongoing PhD projects:

Emmanuel Kwateng Drokow: Revolutionising the screening for oral cancer. Role: Co-supervisor

Temitope Akinyemiju: Energy drink consumption in children and young people in the United Kingdom and its impact on their health behaviour and oral health. Role: Co-supervisor

Esther Odiki: Biochar for water treatment and soil remediation. Role: Co-supervisor

Recent PhD students supervised to completion (since 2023)

Banu Gopu: Investigating the Association Between Early Fluoride Exposure and Cognitive Outcomes in Children: A Mixed Methods Study, 2026. Role: Director of Studies (Primary Supervisor)

Natalie Hajduga: Investigation of fluoride-related cancers and other diseases, 2026. Role: Co-supervisor

Kamalapriya Ajay: Co-Designing a Mobile Health Intervention for Early Childhood Caries Prevention: Development and Evaluation of the NuParent App for Parents and Caregivers, 2025. Role: Director of Studies (Primary Supervisor)

Momina Yasin: Effect of Fluoride on Probiotics Involved in Gut Health, 2025. Role: Co-supervisor

Helen Lloyd: ‘Food is medicine’: An exploration of dietary intake and the feasibility of carbohydrate loading in older adult hip fracture patients, 2025. Role: co-supervisor

Sherley John Rajasekaran: Association between FLuoride exposure and Iodine status during Pregnancy in Expectant mothers and their nEonates (FLIPE): A study from Gestation to Birth and their Newborn, 2024. Role: Director of Studies (Primary Supervisor)

Jelena Kronic: Predictor of Fluorosis: Total Fluoride Intake or Subsequent Fluoride Absorption? 2024. Role: Director of Studies (Primary Supervisor)

Priyanka Vasantavada: Health communication and public perception of community water fluoridation in the UK; 2023. Role: Director of Studies (Primary Supervisor)

Rachel England: How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect oral health and oral health-related behaviours in Tees Valley? A mixed methods study, 2023. Role: Director of Studies (Primary Supervisor)

• Advisory Board and Executive Committee Member, Cambodian Collaborating Centre for Innovation in Population Oral Health (CIPO)
• Member of the North East Oral Health Strategic Oversight Group
• Editorial board member for the Journal of Community Dental Health
• Associate Editor for Frontiers in Oral Health – Oral Health and Nutrition
• Guest Editor for International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Diet, Nutrition and Oral Health
• Guest Editor for Metabolites – Fluoride Metabolism
• Member of International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
• Member of British Society for Oral and Dental Research (BSODR)
• Member of European Organisation for Caries Research (ORCA)
• Member of Centre of Translational Research in Public Health (FUSE)

University Service and Leadership Roles

Current Roles

• Chair, Life Science Ethics Committee (Dec 2025–Present)
• Academic Titles and Awards Committee (ATAC) Member, University Professors’ Representative (2022–Present)
• AMLA Output Role Holder (2022–Present)
• Mentor, including the Springboard Scheme (2020–Present)
• Human Resources Interview Panel Member (2010–Present)

Previous Roles

• Research Operations Group Member (2021–2025)
• School of Health and Life Science Ethics and Research Governance Committee Member (2019–2025)
• Research Grants Board Member (2021–2024)
• University Mentor Pilot Scheme Committee Member (2022–2023)
• Director/Lead, Centre for Public Health Research (2019–2023)
• REF Strategy Group Member (2019–2022)

Vida is an expert on methods for assessment of renal fluoride excretion in community prevention programmes for oral health and has contributed her expertise to the fluoridated milk monitoring exercise, in St Helens – Merseyside, to measure the impact of drinking milk containing 0.8mg F/189 ml milk on urinary fluoride excretion of three year old children in 2013. She was the lead author of the monitoring exercise report for the National Fluoridated Milk Group (NFMG). She also provided a consultancy role for Blackpool City Council for a fluoride monitoring survey in May 2015. As an invited speaker, she has delivered several seminars and lectures for those who are involved in fluoridated milk schemes at schools.

She is also an expert on fluoride analysis of different biological and non-biological samples including food and drink products. She has been invited to run several training courses on the topic for industry and had a key role in a project for the UK ‘Food & Environment Research Agency (fera)’ in which more than 250 food and drink samples were analysed for their fluoride concentrations for the Food Safety Authority Ireland. She has developed a unique fluoride database which provides information on fluoride concentrations of the most commonly consumed food and drink items in the UK (https://www.tees.ac.uk/docs/DocRepo/Research/FinalFluorideDatabase.pdf).

She led a project for ‘Johnson & Johnson’ to test the potential benefit of the combined use of a fluoridated toothpaste and a fluoridated mouthwash.

Vida currently teaches on the Doctorate of Public Health programme and supervises a number of PhD students.

She has delivered invited lectures at several different institutes, including: University College Cork/Ireland, Indiana University/USA, Harbin Commerce University/China, University of Glasgow/Scotland and Sao-Paulo University/Brazil.

She has been running several training courses on fluoride analysis for industry as well as seminars/lectures for public/oral health professionals.