Dental faculty members honored for achievements

School of Dental Medicine faculty members Frank Scannapieco and Peter Bradford have been named 2017 fellows of prestigious academic societies in the fields of dental research and pharmacology.

Frank Scannapieco, chair and professor in the Department of Oral Biology, was named a fellow of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR).

Peter Bradford, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and adjunct associate professor in the Department of Oral Biology in the dental school, was inducted as a fellow into the Academy of Pharmacology Educators within the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

AADR fellows are recognized for their leadership in the organization and contributions to the fields of oral, craniofacial and dental research. Elected fellows serve as ambassadors of excellence in research, act as advisers to AADR and mentor other members.

Scannapieco, also associate dean of faculty and professional development in the dental school, leads the Department of Oral Biology, the first such department established in the U.S.

In addition to his teaching and mentoring activities, Scannapieco has conducted NIH-funded research on the mechanisms of dental-plaque formation and their implications on health and disease. His other research interests include the interactions between saliva and bacteria, and the relationships between oral and systematic disease.

He has received more than $12 million in grant funding, published more than 125 articles in academic journals and has received numerous awards, including the William J. Gies Award for Achievement from the American Dental Education Association.

Scannapieco received a doctorate in dental medicine from the University of Connecticut and a doctorate in oral biology from UB. He has been on the UB dental school faculty since 1987.

Fellowship in the Academy of Pharmacology Educators is presented by the ASPET Division for Pharmacology Education and is bestowed upon recipients for their innovative contributions to education, student-teacher interactions, professional development, scholarly endeavors and service to the field.

Bradford, also co-founder of the New York Pharmacology Society chapter of ASPET, focuses his research on how hormones and nutrients affect cell growth, differentiation and survival. He discovered how natural estrogens and dietary phytochemicals contribute to bone growth, and helped identify factors that inhibit the growth of prostate and breast cancers.

He is the author of numerous journal articles and books, including “Nutrition and Cancer Prevention” and “Adipose Tissue and Inflammation.” He also served for 10 years on the editorial board of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Biology.

Bradford was the recipient of the Outstanding Dental Educator Award in 2014 and the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2015. He is active in teaching continuing dental education courses and served for eight years as director of graduate studies for the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

He earned a doctorate and master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Rochester, and a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from the University at Albany.