Health Science Center faculty member Olav Alvares, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., and postdoctoral fellow Maria del Pilar Valderrama, D.D.S were honored at the 85th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research. In addition, several students received travel grants and had good showings in student research competitions.

Alvares honored

Outgoing A.A.D.R. President Dianne E. Rekow presents a plaque to Olav Alvares, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D.
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Dr. Alvares, associate professor of periodontics, was recognized for exemplary service as the founding editor of Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine. The content of that publication is regularly featured in monthly editions of the Journal of Dental Research.

Dr. Alvares, who is retiring as editor, served in that position from 1990 through 2006. He was recognized during the opening ceremonies by then-AADR president Dianne E. Rekow.

Valderrama receives William B. Clark Fellowship
Maria del Pilar Valderrama, D.D.S., M.S., a postdoctoral fellow in periodontics, received the 2007 American Association for Dental Research (AADR) William B. Clark Fellowship.

Maria del Pilar Valderrama, D.D.S., M.S., received the William B. Clark Fellowship.

The $5,000 award will help Dr. Valderrama continue research on a self-assessment instrument for Spanish speakers regarding their periodontal health. The project extends promising preliminary data obtained from English speakers by her mentors, Bjorn Steffensen, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., associate professor of periodontics; and David Cappelli, D.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., associate professor of community dentistry.

“Being able to detect the presence of periodontal disease in the Hispanic population by a self-assessment approach is particularly important because this segment of the population suffers from a high incidence of diabetes, which is associated with increased severity and progression of periodontal disease,” Dr. Valderrama explained.

Dental student participation
Cheryl Lewis received third place in the basic science category of the Caulk Dentsply competition and Nikita Ruparel was a finalist in the AADR Hatton Award Competition.

In addition, four dental students — Lilia Martinez, Marcose Martinez, Frederick Start and Jenny Wang — received $1,000 travel bloc grants to make presentations at the meeting.

Research projects from dental, Ph.D., D.D.S./Ph.D. and postdoctoral trainees in the National Institutes of Health-supported research training grant, COSTAR, also earned recognitions at the meeting.