The Campaign for UB
Dr. Robert J. Genco School of Dental Medicine Speakers Series Fund
Named for a world-renowned researcher, this fund supports a forum for discussions regarding oral and general health.
The Robert J. Genco Distinguished Speaker Series Fund honors a well-known researcher in oral science and a tireless advocate for interdisciplinary research and entrepreneurship. Dr. Genco spent more than 50 years at UB before he died unexpectedtly in 2019.
This speaker series, which he suggested, provides a forum for the discussion of the fundamental and applied research basis for preservation and restoration of oral and general health.
Lauded by the Journal of Dental Research as the “father of oral science,” Dr. Genco was arguably the world’s leading periodontal researcher and a pioneer in advancing the study of how oral health impacts overall health. He and his colleagues were among the first to report a connection between gum disease and heart disease, stroke and several cancers, and led studies that linked periodontitis to diabetes and obesity.
Genco also was highly regarded as a teacher and mentor, serving as a mentor to more than 80 graduate and postdoctoral students, many of whom are now leaders in academia, industry and government research institutions.
