Alexandria, VA – The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is pleased to announce the program participants (mentees) for the seventh cohort of the AADOCR Mind the Future program:
- Natalie Atyeo, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
- Shirin Ghods, University of Louisville
- Dalia Rasheed Issa, University of Pittsburgh
- Samantha Manna, University of Pittsburgh
- Priti Mulimani, University of Illinois Chicago
- Flávia Saavedra, Cleveland Clinic
- Hillary Schiff, The Ohio State University
- Satoru Shindo, Nova Southeastern University
- Hong Huy Tran, University of Pennsylvania
- Xianrui Yang, University of Florida
- Wenjing Yu, University of Pennsylvania
- Kawtar Zouaidi Hamidi, UTHealth Houston
The AADOCR Mind the Future was initially supported by NIH/NIDCR from 2020-2025 through a cooperative agreement (UE5DE029439). Following the conclusion of that funding cycle, AADOCR remained committed to the program’s mission and sustained its national network through bridge funding from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. CareQuest announced that it would continue its support for the program for a seventh year, ensuring the program continues to operate without interruption.
“It is a pleasure to once again welcome an exceptional group of young researchers to AADOCR’s Mind the Future Program,” said AADOCR President Nisha D’Silva. “The talent and promise of our participants continue to impress me year after year, and I am confident that we are seeing future leaders of AADOCR emerge from this group.”
For the past six years, the AADOCR Mind the Future program has fostered cohorts of distinguished early-career investigators in the DOC research field. The program’s goal is to develop a sustainable, nationally recognized mentoring network that enhances the career development of such researchers with merit-based opportunities for all. The program aims to continue to cultivate a robust pathway of future investigators to address critical scientific challenges.
“AADOCR is extraordinarily grateful for the generous grant from CareQuest allowing us to continue the successful Mind the Future program for an additional two years beyond our initial NIH/NIDCR funding”, added AADOCR CEO Christopher Fox.
The primary goal of the AADOCR Mind the Future Program is to develop a sustainable, nationally recognized mentoring network that enhances the career development of early-career DOC researchers. The program is open to early-career faculty/investigators (postdoctoral or junior faculty) in academic and research institutions. Principal investigators are IADR/AADOCR CEO Christopher Fox, Effie Ioannidou of the University of California San Francisco, and David Drake of the University of Iowa.
About AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being. AADOCR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. AADOCR is the largest division of IADR. Learn more at www.aadocr.org.
About CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is a national nonprofit championing a more equitable future where every person can reach their full potential through excellent health. We do this through our work in philanthropy, analytics and data insights, health transformation, policy and advocacy, and education as well as our leadership in dental benefits and innovation advancements. We collaborate with thought leaders, health care providers, patients, and local, state, and federal stakeholders, to accelerate oral health care transformation and create a system designed for everyone. To learn more, visit carequest.org and follow us on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
