HSDM Dean William Giannobile and Forsyth Institute CEO Wen Shi recently announced the recipients of the first Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Forsyth Institute joint pilot grants. Awards were made on October 1, 2022. Each project has a HSDM principal investigator and a Forsyth principal investigator and is funded with $50,000 per institution, per project, for one year. The following projects were selected for their potential to build on promising studies that will lead to future external funding.

... Read more about Pilot Grants Fuel Promising Research Collaborations

Dr. Donna Hackley is an instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). Her research encompasses environmental, oral health, and overall health. Hackley shares more about the sustainability work she is doing on a national and international level, and what HSDM is doing in the community in the following interview.... Read more about Dr. Donna Hackley Weighs in on How to Build a Sustainable Dental Future

Students, faculty, and staff recently participated in the annual Student Research Day event at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). This year’s event, held on April 5, provided students from the Class of 2022 with the opportunity to showcase their research in poster sessions and learn about the work of their peers. Sixty graduating students presented their scholarly work.

“The energy was palpable as we hosted the first in-person Student Research Day since 2019,” said Dawn DeCosta, director of Research Operations, who helped organize the event.... Read more about HSDM Students Unveil Scholarly Work at Annual Research Day

A new report exploring America’s oral health over the last 20 years includes noteworthy contributions from 15 current and former Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) faculty members.

“Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges” is a sweeping effort to tell the whole story of the state of oral health in America. Widely considered the most comprehensive evaluation of oral health currently available in the U.S., the report shows that oral health plays a central role in overall health.

... Read more about HSDM Faculty Contribute to In-Depth National Report on America’s Oral Health

Dr. Yingzi Yang, professor of Developmental Biology and associate dean for Research, and Dr. Jennifer Gibbs, assistant professor of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences and program director for Endodontics, have been awarded $200,000 in seed grant funding from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute to investigate how stem cells could play a role in repairing dentin and preserving dental pulp. Their work may offer new biological solutions for those suffering from debilitating dental pain that can occur with deep cavities.

“As dental cavities progress into the innervated...

Tooth loss is often accepted as a natural part of aging, but what if there was a way to better identify those most susceptible without the need for a dental exam?

New research led by investigators at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) suggests that machine learning tools can help identify those at greatest risk for tooth loss and refer them for further dental assessment in an effort to ensure early interventions to avert or delay the condition.

The study, published June 18 in PLOS ONE, compared five algorithms using a different combination of variables to screen for risk.... Read more about Predicting Tooth Loss: Machine-Learning Algorithms May Help Identify Those at Risk

Dr. Francesca Gori, assistant professor of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, program director for the Harvard Forsyth Research Academy, and director of predoctoral research at HSDM, was chosen by the Board of Directors of the Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application (SCADA) as the 2021 Burton C. Borgelt Faculty Advisory Award recipient. This award honors a faculty advisor who has distinguished herself as a dental scientist and...

Zahra Aldawood, DMSc18, MMSc21, recalls the moment in dental school when she realized she wanted to pursue genetic research as one of the most enlightening experiences of her life.

“I conducted research to examine the ‘nature versus nurture’ effect on characteristics of twins' teeth. It was my first time being exposed to the world of genetics,” Aldawood said. “That work shifted my thinking from the simplicity of ‘hereditary versus environment’ toward the complexity of ‘genetic, epigenetic and environment.’”

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David T. Wu, DMSc23, is an Advanced Graduate Education (AGE) student in Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Periodontology. Born in Suzhou, China, Wu grew up in Montreal, Quebec, and received his Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Cell Biology from McGill University in 2015, followed by his DMD from the Faculty of Dentistry at McGill. In his free time, Wu enjoys running and cycling around Boston. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wu also enjoyed weekly Boston Symphony Orchestra...

Dr. Hawazin W. Elani, assistant professor in the Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), and co-authors from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, examined how the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) expansion of Medicaid eligibility affected dental coverage and the use of oral health services among low-income adults, using data from the National Health Interview Survey. Their findings were published...

Dr. Shigemi Nagai, associate professor of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, and director of clinical research at HSDM, was recently awarded a National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Catalyst Award as part of the Healthy Longevity Global Competition, a multiyear, multimillion-dollar international competition seeking breakthrough innovations to extend human health and function later in life. Nagai is the only dentist to receive the award among the 150 awards issued in the inaugural round of the competition.... Read more about Dr. Shigemi Nagai Awarded National Academy of Medicine Catalyst Award

What happens when you take a hands-on, interactive dental curriculum and turn it upside down? Four new publications in the Journal of Dental Education authored by HSDM faculty and students reveal how dental education during the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly adapted to deliver aspects of the curriculum in virtual ways. The authors took a close look at what worked well, and what needed improvement, to inform how to best deliver dental education in new and uncharted territory.

“As we all know, dental education has a very interactive curriculum and invaluable aspects to...

Dr. Vicki Rosen, professor and chair of developmental biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), has been appointed interim dean of HSDM, effective January 1, 2020.

A highly respected scientist in the field of bone and mineral research, Rosen’s career at HSDM spans nearly two decades. As chair of the Department of Developmental Biology, she oversees the clinical specialties of pediatric dentistry and orthodontics, as well as basic research, and is involved in the education of postdoctoral fellows and residents, students enrolled in the DMD...