School of Dental Medicine Professor Honored

Raul Garcia, professor and chair of the health policy and health services research department at Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (SDM), was elected to serve as vice president of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) for 2015–16. Garcia will assume office at the conclusion of the March 11–14, 2015, AADR Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

Garcia has been an active AADR member since he joined in 1977. He is the current North American regional counselor for the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Global Oral Health Inequalities Research Network and has served on the Journal of Dental Research editorial board as well as the IADR/AADR Joint Publications Committee.

“This is an exciting opportunity for both Dr. Garcia and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine to make an impact on the evolving research policies and initiatives of this respected national dental association,” says Maria Kukuruzinska, associate dean for research at SDM.

Garcia’s major research interests are in the areas of health services research and oral epidemiology. He is focused on understanding the causes and consequences of oral health disparities and developing interventions to eliminate them. Garcia is also dedicated to identifying the relationship of oral conditions to systemic disease and health-related quality of life. His research includes longitudinal studies of oral health in diverse populations and the analysis of treatment outcomes. The work has included randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and community-based participatory research. Studies encompass the areas of oral epidemiology, health services research, and health policy.

“Congratulations to Dr. Garcia on being elected to this prestigious position,” says SDM Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “The American Association for Dental Research is an important organization, and it is certainly exciting that a dedicated and experienced researcher like Dr. Garcia has been elected to its leadership.”

Garcia holds a doctor of dental medicine, a certificate of advanced graduate study in periodontology, and a master of medical science in oral biology from Harvard University School of Dental Medicine. He has held teaching appointments at Harvard University School of Dental Medicine and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He has earned numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Career Development Award in health services research from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Dental Association Meritorious Award in Geriatric Dental Health Care, and, most recently, the William J. Gies Award for Outstanding Vision in Dental Education from the American Dental Education Association.

The American Association for Dental Research is the largest division of the International Association for Dental Research, a nonprofit organization. The AADR has nearly 3,500 members nationwide. Its mission is: to advance research and increase knowledge for the improvement of oral health; to support and represent the oral health research community; and to facilitate the communication and application of research findings.