FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AADR contact: Ingrid L. Thomas
+1.703.299.8084 or [email protected]
March 27, 2017
Alexandria, Va., USA – The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) has announced Rena D’Souza as the 2017 recipient of the AADR Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished Mentoring Award. She was recognized at the Association’s 46th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., USA, on March 22, 2017, at the Opening Ceremonies. This meeting was held in conjunction with the 95th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research and the 41st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research.
D’Souza is the associate vice provost for research at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA. There, she is also a professor of dental sciences, neurobiology & anatomy, and pathology. D’Souza is currently the IADR president-elect and she is an AADR past president (2012-2013). She earned her B.D.S. from Government Dental College – University of Bombay, India; a general practice residency certificate in oral surgery, operative dentistry and periodontics from Government Dental College and Hospital, University of Bombay, India; an M.S. in biomedical sciences and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSCH); and a D.D.S. from the Dental Branch, UTHSCH.
Her commitment to student mentoring extends beyond her academic duties to furthering research opportunities and rewards for students nationally and internationally through her leadership at IADR and AADR. As evidence of her successful mentoring, her students have won numerous awards at international, national and regional competitions, including nearly 20 AADR Dental Student Summer Research Fellowships. Several of her trainees have pursued academic careers and now serve as mentors.
Through this award, D’Souza is being honored for her extensive experience and devotion to the mentoring and training of the next generation of scientists. The award consists of a plaque and a monetary award of $1,000.
The AADR Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished Mentoring Award was established to provide national recognition for outstanding efforts to foster and promote research training and career development of students, trainees and junior faculty. It is intended to identify individuals at all levels of their career with an exemplary record of mentoring. This award was renamed in 2012 in honor of its first recipient, Irwin D. Mandel.
About the American Association for Dental Research
The American Association for Dental Research (AADR), headquartered in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit organization with nearly 3,500 members in the United States. Its mission is: (1) to advance research and increase knowledge for the improvement of oral health; (2) to support and represent the oral health research community; and (3) to facilitate the communication and application of research findings. AADR is the largest Division of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). To learn more about the AADR, visit www.aadr.org.