The Trusted Voice for Oral Health Education

Stohler is a leading expert on pain management and on jaw and muscle disorders. Prior to coming to Columbia University Stohler was dean of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in Baltimore, where he oversaw Maryland’s expansion to become the largest public dental school in the United States, obtained the volunteer commitment of more than 200 practicing dentists to teach real-world dentistry, and expanded the school’s global presence.

Before joining the University of Maryland in 2003, Stohler spent more than 20 years at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he was a professor in the School of Dentistry, research scientist at the Center for Human Growth and Development, director of research at the School of Dentistry, and professor and chair of the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences. He has helped lead National Institutes of Health-funded work into the genetics, endocrinology, and neurobiology of the human response to pain—particularly in patients with TMJD.

Stohler received his DMD from the University of Bern in Switzerland, where he also earned his DrMedDent in hematology, as well as certificates in oral surgery and prosthodontics. He holds an honorary doctoral degree of philosophy from Nippon Dental University in Tokyo. He is a recipient of the Jerome M. & Dorothy Schweitzer Research Award from the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics and the Horace Wells Merit Award from the Connecticut State Dental Association. The National Dental Association, the Orthodontic Education and Research Foundation, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy have honored him, as well. He has chaired the Board of Scientific Counselors at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and is a fellow of the American College of Dentistry and of the International College of Dentistry.

Dr. Eli Eliav joined the University of Rochester Medical Center in 2013, when he was appointed Director of Eastman Institute for Oral Health and Vice Dean for Oral Health within the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Previously, Dr. Eliav served as Director of the Centerou for Temporomandibular Disorders and Orofacial Pain and as Chair, Dept. of Diagnostic Sciences at UMDNJ – New Jersey Dental School. He was also the University’s Carmel Endowed Chair in Algesiology since 2004.

Dr. Eliav’s current research projects involve orofacial pain, quantitative sensory testing, neuropathic pain, pain modulation and the role of inflammation in neuropathic pain.

DDS Ohio State (1974); DMedSc degree, Harvard (1979); residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, chief resident (1979-80). Teaching posts in oral and maxillofacial surgery at University of Connecticut (1980-83), and Harvard (1983-89). Appointed chair of oral and maxillofacial surgery at UCLA (1989-95), served concurrently as Chief of the Dental Service for UCLA Medical Center, and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs (1993-95). Dean, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry (1995-2007); Herman Robert Fox Dean, New York University College of Dentistry (2007-present).

President of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR)(2002-03). President of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA)(2008-09). Recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the American Dental Association (2010); honorary fellow, Royal College of Surgeons in

Ireland; Knight (KM) of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (2012). Member, Board of Trustees, New York Academy of Medicine (2015-present). Two-term member of the Overseers Visiting Committee for the Faculty of Medicine and Dental Medicine, Harvard. Distinguished Alumnus, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry (1996); Distinguished Alumnus, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (2000). Percy T. Phillips Visiting Professor, Columbia University (2002); Vincent A. Barr Visiting Professor, University of Kentucky (2003); recipient of Paul Goldhaber Award of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (2003). Mirmelstein lecturer in ethics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Dentistry (2007, 2008, 2009). Co-chair (with Joseph Martin) NIDCR Blue Ribbon Panel on Research Training and Career Development (2000); co-chair (with Peter Johnson) NIH Workshop on Biomimetics, Tissue Engineering, and Biomaterials (1998). Chair, American Association of Dental Schools (AADS) Committee on Future Faculty (1998-99). Member of several editorial boards, including the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Fellow of the American College of Dentists (FACD), and Fellow of the International College of Dentists (FICD).

Research and scholarly interests: orofacial tissue repair; biochemistry of hyaluronic acid; use of sodium hyaluronate in treatment of temporomandibular disorders; professional ethics. Principal Investigator for multiple RO1-NIH research grants and Principal Investigator/Project Director of the NIH-funded UCLA/King-Drew Regional Research Center for Minority Oral Health.

Margaret M. McGovern, MD, PhD, is the Knapp Chair in Pediatrics and Dean for Clinical Affairs at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University and Vice President for Clinical Programs and Strategy for Stony Brook Medicine. Since December 2021 she has also been serving as Interim Dean of the School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. McGovern is a Distinguished Alumnus of Stony Brook University and earned her medical and doctoral degrees at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary society, followed by residency training in Pediatrics and fellowships in Clinical Genetics and Clinical Molecular Genetics at Mount Sinai Hospital.

After completion of her training Dr. McGovern joined the faculty at Mount Sinai where she was Professor and Vice Chair of Genetics. She also was the Program Director of the NIH funded General Clinical Research Center and led a program of NIH funded research on rare diseases.

In 2007, she became Chair of Pediatrics at Stony Brook University School of Medicine (now the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University), where she led the marked expansion of the clinical, education and research programs of the department, including the construction of the new Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, which opened in 2019.

In her current roles, Dr. McGovern is leading the Stony Brook Medicine Clinically Integrated Network, which includes initiatives to ensure high-quality care is delivered in the most appropriate setting.

Dr. Ronnie Myers graduated from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, trained as a Pediatric Dentist and completed a fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was in private practice while also holding an appointment at the Bronx Developmental Center prior to coming to the Columbia School of Dental and Oral Surgery full time in 1982 as the Director of the General Practice Residency Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. As program director, he initiated a screening program for pre-cardiac transplant patients and helped forge an affiliation with Memorial Sloan Kettering to develop a two-year oncology program for dental residents.

In 1991, Dr. Myers was appointed as the Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. He was promoted to Associate Dean in 2001, Vice Dean for Administrative Affairs in 2011 and served at the College as Interim Dean from July 2012-August 2013. In June of 2016 Dr. Myers assumed the position of Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Administrative Affairs at the new Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM), which is the first dental school to open in the state of New York in almost 50 years, accepting its inaugural class in July of 2016. In July 2017 he was appointed Dean.

Dr. Myers has been a consultant to the Commission on Dental Accreditation, former member and Chair of the New York State Board of Dentistry and is a past Chair of the American Dental Education Association Section on Clinic Administration. He is a reviewer for the Journal of the American Dental Association, the Journal of Dental Education and the American Journal of Infection Control.

In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Myers lectures on infection prevention issues in Dentistry and the relationship between systemic disease and oral health.

Dr. Zambon has been a UB faculty member in the School of Dental Medicine since 1982 and has earned SUNY’s highest teaching honor – Distinguished Teaching Professor. He currently serves as Dean for the School of Dental Medicine and is the immediate past associate dean for advanced education and faculty advancement. Dr. Zambon also served as associate dean for academic affairs from 1995-2014.

A nationally and internationally recognized authority on periodontal pathogens and an experienced clinician, Dr. Zambon is a prolific researcher whose contributions have been recognized by numerous awards and honors.

Jo Wiederhorn has been the President and CEO of the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) since 2002. Under her tenure the organization has focused its efforts on educating the public on the role medical schools have played in attracting and retaining an inclusive and diversified physician workforce. This has been accomplished through the development of pipeline programs across the medical education continuum. The organization has also focused its efforts on informing the public about the important role biomedical and life sciences’ research has on improving the health outcomes of NYS’ residents. Prior to her work at AMSNY she was the Chief of Staff to the Dean at NYU School of Medicine and Director of its’ Institute for Urban and Global Health. Prior to her tenure at NYU, Ms. Wiederhorn was the Chief of Staff to the President of the then Health and Hospitals Corporation and Associate Executive Director of MetroPlus Health Plan.

Jonathan Teyan currently serves as President of NYSADC and Chief Operating Officer of the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY). Under his leadership, NYSADC has worked hard to reduce barriers to dental care for people with special needs. In 2021, Jonathan led the development of NYSADC’s Fellowship to Address Oral Health Disparities, which provides clinical training opportunities for recent dental school graduates to gain advanced skills in treating people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In his role as Chief Operating Officer of AMSNY, Jonathan oversees a portfolio of biomedical research initiatives and was instrumental in the creation of the New York State-funded NYFIRST program, which has made New York’s medical schools more competitive in the recruitment and retention of world-class scientists.

Jonathan began his career in science policy studying conservation biology at Cornell University, then at the National Audubon Society, where he directed that organization’s largest environmental education center. After a five-year stint at Audubon, he completed an MPA at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where began a longstanding interest in public health policy. Jonathan has been with AMSNY and NYSADC since 2011.

Jennifer Tassler joined AMSNY in 2016 and is currently the Director of Policy and Programming. In this role, Jennifer oversees AMSNY’s government relations and diversity efforts. She monitors all state and federal legislation affecting AMSNY member schools and manages AMSNY’s Diversity in Medicine Programs, including the Diversity in Medicine Scholarship Program. Jennifer also works with staff to plan advocacy day activities in Albany and Washington, DC, and works with external lobbyists and is the liaison to the Government Relations Committee at AMSNY. Prior to joining AMSNY, Jennifer worked in the Office of Legislation at the Food and Drug Administration and spent several years at the American Psychiatric Association where she handled federal regulatory policy and congressional relations. Jennifer has a longstanding interest in science and medicine, graduating with a major in neuroscience from Pomona College in Claremont, CA, and then went on to law school at The Catholic University Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC, where she specialized in health law.