Rena D'Souza, DDS, MS, PHD

Dr. Rena D'Souza is an internationally recognized researcher in craniofacial biology and genetics with a distinguished career spanning more than forty years. She earned her DDS, her Master's in Pathology and Biomedical Sciences, and her PhD from the University of Texas Health Science Center. Her work has been dedicated to advancing fundamental knowledge of dental and oral health and translating those findings into treatment strategies that improve health outcomes across lifespans.

Notably, she served as the ninth director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health, where she guided national research priorities aimed at improving oral health.

She has more than 150 publications and book chapters to her credit and has received numerous honors, including the prestigious Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Birnberg Research Medal in 2016.

She leads a monthly research seminar program, “Building Bridges for Oral Health Research,” a part of the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series.” In addition to these seminars, she will lead a research project with our students and serve as a mentor to our tenure-track faculty