Dr. Lakmali Silva, assistant professor of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity (OMII), has been honored with an Eleanor and Miles Shore Fellowship. Established in 1995, the fellowship program is a cornerstone for supporting junior faculty at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and Harvard Medical School (HMS), offering financial support during a critical stage of their academic careers.
“It is an honor to be selected this year for the Eleanor and Miles Shore Fellowship in honor of Aina M. Auskaps,” Silva said. “The recognition this award provides to the many roles we play, as an immigrant, a woman, researcher, educator, mentor, and a friend is admirable.”
The Shore Fellowship that is given annually to an HSDM faculty member is named for Aina M. Auskaps, DMD55, a Latvian immigrant and one of the first women to receive her dental degree from Harvard.
The Fellowship funding will provide Silva with protected time and resources for her study of hemostasis and immunity. Her research will focus on gaining a better understanding of how platelets and other hemostatic factors contribute to the development of periodontitis, aiming to find specific molecules that could be targeted for treatment.
“This fellowship represents HMS and HSDM's support for my passion in research by providing the funds required to start my research program,” said Silva. “Our aim is to comprehensively understand the mechanisms underlying the periodontitis pathogenesis and progression.”
Silva joined HSDM in 2023 as a faculty member in OMII from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) where she was a postdoctoral fellow. During her time at the NIDCR, she studied the novel fibrin-neutrophil axis that operates within the periodontal microenvironment to promote alveolar bone destruction. Her work resulted in a breakthrough in understanding the etiology of periodontal disease.
Silva was honored at the Shore Fellowship Program Annual Ceremony in early December.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity and the support I receive from HSDM, my lab and my mentors.”
