University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: UB is Part of Joint $17 Million NIH Grant to Study Temporomandibular Disorders

Five University at Buffalo researchers are participating in a $17 million multi-institution study funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to better understand temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and develop more effective treatments. The five-year study, Collaborative for REsearch to Advance TMD Evidence (CREATE), involves nine institutions across the country. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry: Metabolic Analyses of Animal Fossils Helps Scientists Reconstruct Million-Year-Old Environments

For the first time, scientists have analyzed metabolism-related molecules from the fossilized bones of animals that lived 1.3 to 3 million years ago, revealing insights about both the animals and their environments. The metabolic clues about the animals’ health and diets enabled researchers to paint a picture of their living conditions, including the temperature, soil, rainfall, and vegetation. Read more.

Oral Health Care Access

Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: He Listened When Others Didn’t – How One Patient Launched Ralph ‘Lin’ Saunders Career

Ralph “Lin” Saunders, Jr., DDS, MS, still remembers the patient who changed the course of his life — an elderly woman, soft-spoken yet worn down. She had seen several dentists before him, searching for someone who would listen — someone who would not rush, dismiss, or patronize her concerns about her ill-fitting dentures. She had been told she was “too particular.” But Dr. Saunders felt something different: she was right. Read more.

Alumni News

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Barry Chang, DDS ’92: A Career in Service, Rooted at Columbia

For Barry Chang, DDS ’92, service isn’t a detour from his DDS. It is the point. Chang, who serves as the Medicaid Dental Director for the State of New Hampshire, has built a career that is centered on expanding access to oral health care in underserved communities. He is guided, he says, by values that were shaped at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. Read more.

Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College: Alumna Continues a Legacy of Service in her Community

For third-generation dentist and 2020 TCDM alumna E. Ahono Gildersleeve, DDS, caring for those in need is more than a professional obligation – it’s a family tradition. Read more.

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine: Alumni Reunion “Like Being With Family Again”

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine hosted its second Alumni Class Reunion on November 8, welcoming graduates back to the north shore of Long Island to celebrate their milestone anniversaries. The event included an afternoon barbecue, a question-and-answer session with current students, and a tour of the school led by Dean Patrick Lloyd, DDS, MS. Read more.

Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: Sangeeta Gajendra Appointed Chair of EIOH Community Dentistry

Eastman Institute for Oral Health has appointed Sangeeta Gajendra, DDS, MPH, MS, (GenDen ’04, MS ‘12) as chair of Community Dentistry and Oral Disease Prevention. She has devoted more than two decades to advancing oral health for vulnerable and underserved populations in the Rochester region, reflecting her commitment to translational public health science, community partnerships, and equitable access to care. Read more.

Faculty News & Awards

NYU College of Dentistry: Professor Receives the Isiah Lew Memorial Research Award from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) Foundation

Dr. Lukasz Witek, assistant professor in the Biomaterials Division of the Department of Molecular Pathobiology at NYU Dentistry, was selected to receive the Isiah Lew Memorial Research Award at the 2025 AAID Annual Conference in Phoenix, AZ, in November. The award is given annually to recognize an individual who has contributed significantly to research in implant dentistry. Read more.

Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: Adela Planerova Appointed Chair, Special Needs Dentistry at Eastman Institute for Oral Health

The Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester has named Adela Planerova, DDS, MS, as the inaugural chair of its newly established Special Needs Dentistry Department. This appointment underscores EIOH’s commitment to advancing accessible, patient-centered oral health care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex medical conditions. Read more.

More News

NYU College of Dentistry PROHmotion Blog: Opening Doors – The Legacy of Dr. Jeanne Craig Sinkford

The latest NYU College of Dentistry PROHmotion blog post is a tribute to the extraordinary life of Dr. Jeanne Craig Sinkford, the first woman to lead a U.S. dental school, and a call to carry forward her remarkable legacy of breaking down barriers, creating opportunities for those who otherwise might not have access to them, and never forgetting that our work is about the people whose lives we can change. Read more.