UB Dental School's Oral Biology Department wins ADEA Gies Award for Outstanding Achievement by an Academic Dental Institution

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo's Department of Oral Biology, the first established in the nation, has won the 2009 William J. Gies Award for outstanding achievement by an academic dental institution.

The award will be presented to Frank A. Scannapieco, D.M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the department, on March 14 at the 86th American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Annual Session and Exhibition in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Gies Awards, given for vision, innovation or achievement, are sponsored by the ADEA Gies Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the ADEA.

In announcing the winner, the foundation stated: "The Oral Biology Ph.D. program at the University at Buffalo, through its training of numerous successful oral health investigators and academicians, has achieved a significant record of accomplishment that has yielded a major impact on global oral health and oral health education."

UB's Department of Oral Biology was founded in the School of Dental Medicine in 1964. Since its inception, 67 individuals have received doctorates, and the program has supported more than 40 trainees who earned both the Ph.D. and a certificate in a clinical dental specialty. Fifteen candidates currently are enrolled in the Ph.D. program.

"Many graduates of this program have made significant contributions to oral health research and education," said Scannapieco. "Lawrence Tabak, director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and a well-known salivary researcher, received his Ph.D. from this program.

"Other UB oral biology graduates include one of the primary investigators in the ongoing development of a dental caries vaccine; researchers contributing to understanding the host response in periodontal disease patients; and a major contributor to the knowledge of salivary proteins who was a leader in developing artificial saliva," Scannapieco added.

Several current UB oral biology faculty members have contributed substantial knowledge on periodontal disease: its epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and systemic effects. They also were among the first to show the connection between oral bacteria, inflammation, and cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Others have made substantial contributions to knowledge of salivary protein structure and function, as well as to the understanding of oral microbial infections.

The UB dental school consistently has ranked among the top U.S. dental schools in federally sponsored research funding. Its 2007 fiscal year funding totaled more than $4 million.

The School of Dental Medicine is one of five schools in UB's Academic Health Center. The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.