Columbia’s Dental School Dean Honored by Dental Research Association for Service to Oral Health Research

dean christian stohler

NEW YORK, NY (March 23, 2017)—The American Association of Dental Research (AADR) presented its 2017 Jack Hein Public Service Award to Christian S. Stohler, DMD, DrMedDent, dean of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and senior vice president of Columbia University Medical Center, for his work promoting and supporting oral health research. The award was given on March 22nd during a ceremony at the 95th IADR/AADR/CADR General Session & Exhibition in San Francisco, California.

 

Each year, the Jack Hein Public Service Award honors a person who has demonstrated exemplary service to the interests and activities of oral health research. Dr. Stohler, an accomplished academic leader and scholar, was recognized for his leadership of the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR). He was FNIDCR president from 2011-2015, until the organization’s board voted to integrate FNIDCR operations with those of the AADR, a transition Dr. Stohler led in 2016. The transition helped contribute to a single, amplified voice advocating on Capitol Hill for more research in dental and oral health and craniofacial issues.

 

Dr. Stohler has led the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine since 2013. In the prior decade, he served as dean of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. As a researcher, he helped lead NIH-funded work exploring the genetics, endocrinology, and neurobiology of the human response to pain, particularly in patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD), a disease that causes pain in the joints and muscles of the jaw. He was also a member of the first scientific team to demonstrate that a patient’s belief in a placebo painkiller can prompt the brain to release endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. He has authored more than 120 articles and chapters and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including an honorary doctorate from Nippon Dental University in Japan.

 

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Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, among the first university-affiliated dental schools in the United States, was founded in 1916. As part of a world-class medical center, the school trains general dentists and dental specialists in a setting that emphasizes the interconnection between oral health care and overall health for both individuals and communities. The school supports research to advance personalized, evidence-based oral health care and contribute to the professional knowledge base for future leaders in the field. In its commitment to service learning, the school provides dental care to underserved communities of Northern Manhattan and also engages in dental and oral health care capacity-building initiatives abroad. Its faculty has played a leadership role in advancing the inclusion of oral health programs in national health care policy and has developed novel programs to expand oral care locally and in developing countries. For more information, visit dental.columbia.edu.

 

 

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. The campus that Columbia University Medical Center shares with its hospital partner, NewYork-Presbyterian, is now called the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.  For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.

Media Contact

Anna Spinner
College of Dental Medicine
622 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
United States