The ADA Foundation has named Drake Winslow Williams, D.D.S. as the 2018 recipient of the ADA Foundation Dentsply Sirona Research Award for Dual Degree Candidates.
Dr. Williams, a Ph.D. candidate in oral biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Dentistry, Division of Constitutive & Regenerative Sciences, received his D.D.S. from the UCLA School of Dentistry in 2017. He is investigating the role of commensal microbiome in the pathogenesis of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), advised by Dr. Reuben H. Kim, D.D.S., Ph.D.
His research contributes to the understanding of the microbiome’s impact – for example, in terms of bacterial infiltration – on MRONJ development. He is also investigating the interrogation of microbiome influence on oral and maxillofacial angiogenesis.
The award is valued at $10,000 and is designed to encourage and acknowledge outstanding achievements in oral health research that focus on basic biomedical, clinical, or translational subjects to advance public oral health.
Awarding a future expert osteoimmunologist
“My research combines my expertise in oral and bone biology and in immunology. I am particularly interested in learning more about how the microbiome and microbial species can alter the immune system to affect oral and systemic bone homeostasis,” explained Dr. Williams. “The ADA Foundation Dentsply Sirona Research Award for Dual Degree Candidates helps me to fund research projects that utilize cutting-edge technologies such as CLARITY to answer novel and impactful clinical questions, and to communicate scientific progress at international congresses.”
Dr. Williams has won more than 20 scientific awards. In 2018 he received the Young Investigator Award of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) and the Henry M. Thornton SCADA Fellowship Award.Besides his research work he teaches undergraduate dental students at UCLA and serves as a volunteer faculty member for a pre-clinical course in restorative dentistry.
Facilitating translation – from bench to chairside
“In the second year of the ADA Foundation Dentsply Sirona Research Award for Dual Degree Candidates I am even more impressed with the excellence of the applications and the expertise of the highly talented applicants. They all go the extra mile to earn a Ph.D. degree in addition to their dental education,” said Terri Dolan, D.D.S, M.P.H., vice president and chief clinical officer for Dentsply Sirona. “They are the future key figures for dental translation since they bring scientific insights from bench to chairside. Dentsply Sirona is proud to support Dr. Williams as one of these outstanding clinician scientists.”
“We are delighted to see how many young dental talents are committed to complement their clinical education in the field of scientific research. Their scientific dedication and ambition is essential to utilize latest research findings for the benefit of the patients,” said William R. Calnon, D.D.S., president, ADA Foundation. “With the ADA Foundation Dentsply Sirona Research Award we are actively promoting dental science at its transition to clinical dental care. Dr. Williams is a true role model for our goal and thus a well-deserved laureate.”
To make a tax-deductible donation to the ADA Foundation, please visitADAFoundation.org or call 312.440.2547.
ABOUT ADA Foundation:
As dentistry's premier philanthropic and charitable organization, the ADA Foundation is a catalyst for uniting people and organizations to invest in better oral health for all, together. The ADA Foundation provides grants, scholarships, awards, and facilitated in-kind product donations to programs that are in alignment with the organization’s efforts to advance oral health, expand access to dental care, and drive game-changing research. As part of these efforts, the ADA Foundation oversees the Give Kids A Smile®program and also oversees the ADA Foundation Volpe Research Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland (formerly the Paffenbarger Research Center). For more information about the ADA Foundation, visit www.adafoundation.org.
ABOUT DENTSPLY SIRONA:
Dentsply Sirona is the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, with over a century of innovation and service to the dental industry and patients worldwide. Dentsply Sirona develops, manufactures, and markets a comprehensive solutions offering including dental and oral health products as well as other consumable medical devices under a strong portfolio of world class brands. As The Dental Solutions Company™, Dentsply Sirona’s products provide innovative, high-quality and effective solutions to advance patient care and deliver better, safer and faster dental care. Dentsply Sirona’s global headquarters is located in York, Pennsylvania, and the international headquarters is based in Salzburg, Austria. The company’s shares are listed in the United States on NASDAQ under the symbol XRAY.
Visit www.dentsplysirona.com for more information about Dentsply Sirona and its products.
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