Research

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Elia Beniash, Ph.D. to a key leadership position at Pitt Dental Medicine as the new Chair of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences. Dr. Beniash is highly regarded for his superior skills as an investigator, ground-breaking scientist, and a leader who advocates for his colleagues and collaborators through excellence. We are excited to have him take on this leadership position and to help promote our superb program to the next level of excellence. 

Dr. Beniash’s vision for the Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences is to integrate the program more completely into other Pitt Dental Medicine departments, facilitate interdisciplinary and team science, advance junior investigators, and build on the very strong basic and translational science core that has been developed at Pitt Dental Medicine.  

CDC highlights recent Dental Genetics publications which include Pitt Dental Medicine faculty Drs. Alexandre Vieira, Adriana Modesto, Mary Marazita, Margaret Cooper and Robert Weyant: http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/public/features/dental_care.htm

Dr. Christine Wankiiri-Hale, Associate Dean for Student Affairs recently was selected as a member of the 2015-16 class of the ADA Institute for Diversity in Leadership. The ADA Institute for Diversity in Leadership is designed to enhance the leadership skills of dentists who belong to racial, ethnic and/or gender backgrounds that have been traditionally underrepresented in leadership roles. The Institute provides an opportunity to gain leadership experience, strengthen professional networks and set new leadership paths in the profession and community. As a key part of the leadership learning experience, each participant designs and completes a personal leadership project for their community or the profession.

Dr. Anitha Potluri recently was elected chair for Image Gently in Dentistry, The Alliance for Radiation in Pediatric imaging.

This Image Gently steering committee is made up of group of full professors, medical radiologists, and the CFO of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists.

Image Gently has a worldwide campaign to encourage radiation safety in Pediatric patients. They are now in alliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency/Atoms For Peace located in Vienna to develop worldwide radiation protection teaching material. Dr. Potluri will be one of the reviewers of the developed material as it relates to dental medicine.

Center for Craniofacial Regeneration visiting scholar Qi Han, DDS, a PhD candidate, was recognized in March with the IADR MTG Young Investigator Award from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Mineralized Tissue Biology Committee. Dr. Han received the honor at the annual IADR conference March 23, in San Francisco, Ca.

Dr. Han was recognized for his work on the abstract “Osteoblastic lineage-intrinsic Tsc1 regulates osteogenesis and bone marrow adipogenesis.” The award brings with it the title of Mineralized Tissue Group (MTG) Young Investigator.

“I really appreciate this award,” he said. “This great honor definitely encourages me to continue my current work. I feel that all my hard work is worthwhile.”