UB’s dental school names Grace De Souza as new chair of restorative dentistry

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Grace De Souza, DDS, PhD,  professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at the University of Louisville (UL) School of Dentistry, has been named the new chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry in the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, effective Jan. 2. When she joins the faculty, she will also teach courses as a professor of comprehensive dentistry.

At UL, De Souza began as an associate professor in 2022 and was promoted to full professor in July 2024. Prior her time at UL, she held various faculty positions spanning 11 years in the University of Toronto’s Department of Clinical Sciences, Restorative Dentistry.

She earned a DDS, a master’s and PhD in comprehensive care/restorative dentistry from the State University of Campinas, Brazil. From 2004 to 2005, she was a visiting scholar in New York University College of Dentistry’s Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics.

De Souza began her career in academic dentistry after several years of private practice and research. As a researcher, she focused on understanding the degradation process of biomaterials as a way to improve patients’ quality of care. Her current biomaterials research includes studies on the stability of 3D-printed dentures and the crystalline stability of zirconia.

She has also developed an interest in factors related to equity in dental education, academic dentistry and health care. She is the principal investigator of a federal grant focused on recruitment and retention of pediatric and primary care dental faculty to treat diverse and underserved populations in Kentucky.

As chair, De Souza will be responsible for the department’s overall administration, financial stewardship, academic oversight and faculty development.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. De Souza to UB,” said Marcelo Araujo, DDS, MS, PhD, dean of the dental school. “With her strong record of leadership, service and scholarly activity, I am confident Dr. De Souza will drive the restorative dentistry department’s strategic priorities and work closely with me and other school administrators to pursue innovative academic, patient care and research programs. Her extensive experience coordinating courses related to all varieties of direct and indirect restorative procedures will be an asset in continuing the department’s tradition of providing excellent educational experiences to DDS students, residents and master’s students in the biomaterials program.”

Outside of her academic and research roles, De Souza is involved in many professional organizations. She is the immediate past president of the Women in Science Network of the International Association for Dental Research (WISN-IADR) and a member-at-large of the organization’s Dental Materials Group. She was elected a fellow of the Academy of Dental Materials (ADM) in 2020 and a fellow of the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) in 2023.

De Souza participated in the American Dental Education Association’s (ADEA) Leadership Institute as part of the 2023-2024 cohort. She sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Dental Research and is an associate editor of the Australian Dental Journal.

The Department of Restorative Dentistry is the largest of the dental school’s seven academic departments. Latifa Bairam, DDS, MS, clinical associate professor of restorative dentistry, has served as interim chair since April 2024.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Bairam for her leadership and service to the department,” Araujo said. “She guided the department expertly during her interim position, and I know that it’s in good hands going forward.”