Advanced Graduate Education (AGE) student Lama Alabdulaaly, DMSc21, recently completed her advanced degree program in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, graduating from Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) this past spring . Now she will continue her educational journey at HSDM by pursuing a certificate in Oral Medicine. While earning her Doctor of Medical Science degree at HSDM, Alabdulaaly taught pre-doctoral courses and published a number of papers in the fields of Oral Pathology, Oral Medicine, and Bone Biology.... Read more about Dr. Lama Alabdulaaly Combines Art and Science in Dual Postdoctoral Programs

On Thursday, May 27, 2021, family, friends, and Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) community members gathered, both near and far, to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2021. Virtual Commencement and Class Day exercises, combined with a celebratory outdoor send-off at HSDM, provided the backdrop for a special graduation experience for the School’s newest alumni.

The festivities began in the morning with the University-wide Commencement ceremony, which featured a video of students from across Harvard’s schools chronicling all of the places from which they studied this...

Ashiana Jivraj, DMD21, jokes that she was born in a dental chair. Her mother worked through most of her pregnancy as a general dentist, and Jivraj spent most of her childhood being shuttled to and from the orthodontist’s office. While it would be easy to assume that for these reasons, Jivraj was destined for a career in dentistry, she actually credits a trip to India during her sophomore year of college with her decision to pursue a career in dentistry.

“I wound up working in a dental clinic and saw the immense challenge that the social determinants of...

Prior to his arrival at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) in 2017, you might have found William “Brennan” Arden, DMSc21, jumping out of helicopters, practicing dentistry on an oil tanker-sized hospital ship, or visiting the farthest corners of the globe to deliver humanitarian aid. As a military dentist with the United States Navy, Arden treated service members and organized humanitarian efforts in countries like Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. At HSDM, he pursued an advanced degree in endodontics and served as...

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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For Kobie Gordon, MMSc21, the ability of dentists to transform lives by fixing smiles was a superpower he wanted to possess.

“There was a young girl in my neighborhood back home who was born with cleft lip and palate,” Gordon said. “Over the years, she received various dental treatments. By the time she got to university, one could hardly tell that she was born with a cleft lip and palate. Her self-esteem went through the roof. I was always impressed that dentistry was able to make such a profound impact on her life,” he said.

This May, when Gordon...

Laura Lin, DMD21, first became curious about dentistry when she overheard a classmate at Cornell University talk about how dentistry is the perfect combination of art and science. Intrigued by the concept, Lin embarked on her dental career with an open mind about where it would take her. She pursued shadowing opportunities at local dentist offices, establishing relationships with mentors who would guide her in the years to come. As she prepares to graduate from Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) in May, her...

In November of 2019, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) established its first Green Team and Sustainability Committee, bringing together students, faculty, and staff who were committed to exploring ways to make impactful changes to the School’s environmental footprint. The committee came together as a result of a Harvard Worldwide Week presentation by Dr. Donna Hackley, instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, which focused on the bi-directional relationship between environmental health and oral health through the lens of health equity. The committee focused on evaluating...

A Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) community outreach group recently received the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Dean’s Community Service Award for their work to provide better access to oral and systemic health care to the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (WTGH), as well as other underserved communities on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The Wampanoag Outreach Group Portable Clinic Project, spearheaded by HSDM students and faculty members Camille Herzog, DMD22, Natalie Wen, DMD22, Susanna Yeh, DMD23, Kristie Kaczmarek, DMD23, and Brian Swann, assistant professor of Oral Health Policy...