Dr. Catherine Hayes, a Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) alumna with an extensive background in public health research, policy, teaching, and mentoring, will return to HSDM in November to serve as program director for the Dental Public Health (DPH) advanced graduate education program. She will become a full-time faculty member in the Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology (OHPE) beginning November 1, 2022.
Hayes comes to HSDM most recently from MassHealth, the Massachusetts Medicaid and Chip Program, where she served as dental director. She received her BS in Biology from Boston College and her DMD from Tufts University. She is a graduate of HSDM’s General Practice Residency program at Brigham and Women's Hospital and earned a DMSc in Oral Epidemiology in a combined program with the Harvard Chan School of Public Health where she also received a master’s degree in Epidemiology.
“I look forward to returning to HSDM, my alma mater, and working under the leadership of Dean William Giannobile and Dr. Christine Riedy. I am eager to work with HSDM students, residents, faculty, and staff to continue to work toward decreasing oral health disparities and inspiring the next generation of public health specialists in dentistry,” Hayes said.
Hayes has served in leadership roles in academia as well as national and international organizations and government agencies. She has been actively involved in research and policy initiatives related to oral health disparities and inequities throughout her career and has published numerous articles and book chapters in the field of dental public health and epidemiology including as a contributing author to the first U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health.
“We’re thrilled to have Catherine back full-time at HSDM,” said Dr. Christine Riedy, chair and Delta Dental of Massachusetts Professor in Oral Public Health and Epidemiology at HSDM.
“She brings a strong scientific, community health, and leadership background that will strengthen the program, department, and institution. I’m excited to see the future that she will build for the DPH program and OHPE.”
