Press Releases

IADR and AADR Past President Rena D’Souza Selected as NIH NIDCR Director

Alexandria, Va., USA – The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) has selected IADR and AADR Past President Rena D'Souza, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA, as the next NIH NIDCR Director.

D'Souza served as the 41st President of the AADR (2012-13) and the 95th President of the IADR (2018-19). She has been an active IADR/AADR member and volunteer for over 35 years, serving in many capacities including as a JDR Editorial Board member, AADR Science Information Committee and an IADR/AADR Publications Committee member. 

In 2002, D’Souza received the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Pulp Biology and in 2017, the AADR Distinguished Scientist Award — the highest-level awards for both organizations. She also received the 2009 IADR Innovation in Oral Care Award, was elected an AADR Fellow in 2016, received the 2005 AADR National Student Research Group Mentor Award and the 2017 AADR Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished Mentoring Award. In 2019, D’Souza and colleagues won the AADR/IADR William J. Gies Award for best article in the Journal of Dental Research in the category of Biological Research for their landmark paper on the relationship between a specific gene (Pax9) and a signaling pathway that can be further exploited for the development of noninvasive, safe and effective therapies for the treatment of cleft palate conditions and other single-gene disorders affecting the craniofacial complex.

“Throughout her distinguished career Rena D'Souza has been deeply committed to serving IADR and the dental, oral and craniofacial research community,” said IADR President Pamela Den Besten. “Her longstanding involvement within IADR has been extraordinarily positive and she will undoubtedly continue to positively impact the field in this new leadership role.”

“The NIDCR and the greater dental, oral and craniofacial research community will greatly benefit from Dr. D’Souza’s leadership experience and passion for elevating science” said AADR President Mark Herzberg. “We know she will strive to push the frontiers of science into the next generation of foundational knowledge, prevention, treatments and cures.”

Rena D'Souza is currently the Associate Vice Provost for Research as well as a professor of Dental Sciences, Professor of Neurobiology & Anatomy and Professor of Pathology, at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA. She is expected to assume her new role later this year.


International Association for Dental Research

The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with over 10,000 individual members worldwide, with a Mission to drive dental, oral and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being worldwide. To learn more, visit www.iadr.org. The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) is the largest Division of IADR with 3,100 members in the United States. To learn more, visit www.iadr.org/aadr.