Research Day

Dr. Somerman joined NIDCR in 2011. NIDCR's mission is to improve oral, dental, and craniofacial health through research, research training, and the dissemination of health information. The Institute is the successor to a Dental Hygiene Unit established at NIH in 1931 and the National Institute of Dental Research founded in 1948, changing its name to include "craniofacial" in 1998.

Dr. Somerman previously served as dean of the University of Washington School of Dentistry from 2002 to 2011, and was a member of the faculty at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry from 1991 to 2001, where she was professor and chair of periodontics/prevention and geriatrics, and a professor of pharmacology at the School of Medicine. From 1984 to 1991, she was on the faculty of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. She received her first NIH grant in 1987, and also served on the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council from 1999 to 2002. Dr. Somerman is an internationally renowned researcher and educator, whose research has focused on defining key regulators controlling development, maintenance, and regeneration of oral-dental-craniofacial tissues. Her work has been recognized by numerous honors and awards, including Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Paul Goldhaber Award from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and the Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Academy of Periodontology.

Dr. Somerman received her B.A. and D.D.S from New York University, her Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Rochester, and her certificate in Periodontology from Eastman Dental School, Rochester, NY.

Dr. Somerman's talk is titled "NIDCR: Guiding the Future of Oral Health Research and Innovation." Her presentation will provide an introduction to NIH and NIDCR and an overview of NIDCR-supported research. NIDCR funds a dynamic portfolio of dental, oral, and craniofacial research spanning basic, translational, behavioral and clinical research domains, and fosters a strong research workforce through training and career development awards. NIDCR-supported basic research provides an important foundation from which the development of many therapeutics and products emerge. Dr. Somerman will highlight exciting new dental, oral and craniofacial research results, tools and technology developments, and NIDCR's efforts to address public health concerns. Looking to the future, NIDCR is implementing a long-term visioning initiative - called 'NIDCR 2030' - to engage the community and generate ideas on how to achieve innovative research and workforce goals by year 2030. This initiative will spur NIDCR to develop innovative research areas and promote emerging science, while encouraging the public to participate in guiding NIDCR's future research directions.

Dr. Amar joined the Touro College and University System in the summer of 2016 as the Provost for Biomedical Research/Chief Biomedical Research Officer and professor of pharmacology and microbiology and immunology at New York Medical School.

Previously Dr. Amar served as professor of oral biology and periodontology, professor of molecular and cell biology at Boston University. He also served as the Director of the Center for Anti-Inflammatory Therapeutics. Prior to his time at Boston University, he was a faculty member at the Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, New York and at Northwestern University. A prolific scholar and successful NIH grant applicant, Dr. Amar's research has focused on cytokines and periodontal diseases, wound healing and periodontal regeneration, and on the role of oral microorganisms in atherosclerosis and obesity. More recently, he has done significant research into the relationship between obesity and periodontal disease. While pursuing basis research with direct clinical relevance, Dr. Amar's work has extended into the realm of drug design. His work has been recognized by numerous honors and awards, including The Oral Biology Award from the International Association of Dental Research.

Dr. Amar received his degrees from the University Louis Pasteur (France) and additional training at the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester.

Dr. Amar's will talk about "Opportunities and Challenges of Biomedical Research." America's biomedical enterprise is the foremost in the world and has been fundamental to our economic strength. From basic research to translational research—from bench to bedside—remarkable advances are occurring in areas like genomics, personalized medicine, and bioengineering, to name just a few. While complimented by resource investments from the corporate world and higher education itself, core support primarily have come for decades from the federal government. That support is more competitive than ever and uncertainty about its future is keenly felt. At the same time, there are societal expectations of continued progress toward discoveries that ultimately yield better outcomes in the quality of health care and delivery. From his vantage, Dr. Amar will examine the biomedical research scene and identify opportunities and challenges where the Touro College and University System would be expected to play a more visible role at student, staff, and faculty levels.