Alexandria, VA – The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) has announced Ranya El Sayed as the 2026 recipient of the AADOCR Anne D. Haffajee Fellowship. El Sayed, from the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, was recognized during the Opening Ceremonies of the 55th Annual Meeting of the AADOCR, which was held in conjunction with the 104th General Session of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) and the 50th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research on March 25-28, 2026 in San Diego, CA.
El Sayed is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Periodontics at Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University and currently serves as President of the AADOCR Georgia Section. She earned a Ph.D. in Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology from Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University in 2019, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Immunology and Microbiology within the Department of Periodontics. Her research has consistently centered on unraveling the molecular mechanisms driving chronic inflammatory bone diseases and translating these findings into clinically relevant regenerative therapies.
During her doctoral training, she investigated medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), a severe adverse effect of anti-resorptive therapies. As a postdoctoral fellow, She expanded her focus to the role of senescence-associated extracellular vesicles in inflammatory bone loss—work that led to an interest in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) as both mediators and therapeutic tools.
Her current research focuses on engineering immune-regulatory exosomes to enhance periodontal and alveolar bone regeneration. This work directly addresses longstanding clinical challenges in mineralized tissue regeneration and offers a novel therapeutic platform that leverages natural vesicle biology for improved therapeutic delivery, stability, and immune compatibility.
The Anne D. Haffajee Fellowship was created in recognition of Dr. Haffajee’s many contributions to clinical research in Periodontology and Oral Biology and her prominence as a female leader and role model in the field. A goal of this fellowship is for researchers to have the support they need at the early stages of their scientific careers. This fellowship is designed to support the academic and scientific development of researchers towards an independent research career. The $10,000 Fellowship is supported by generous donations from individuals and companies who created the endowment.
About AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research 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 the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research. Learn more at www.aadocr.org.
