Dr. Paula Ortega-Verdugo Named to 2025-26 AADOCR MIND the Future Cohort

The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) has selected Paula Ortega‑Verdugo, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D. – assistant professor in the Section of Public and Population Health at the UCLA School of Dentistry – as one of ten early-career faculty members nationwide for its 2025-26 MIND the Future (Mentoring an Inclusive Network for a Diverse Workforce of the Future) cohort.

MIND the Future, funded by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, seeks to cultivate a pipeline of independent investigators and leaders in dental, oral and craniofacial research through mentoring, networking, and sustained support. Each selected mentee receives multi-year funding and tailored professional development opportunities. This marks a third consecutive year that UCLA Dentistry has placed a faculty member into the prestigious MIND the Future cohort, with Drs. Yan Wang (2023-24) and Insoon Chang (2024-25) as alumni.

Dr. Ortega-Verdugo brings a unique dual training in restorative dentistry and dental public health to the program. Her research focuses on advancing evidence-based minimal-intervention caries care, improving dental care utilization among children and underserved communities, and strengthening the diversity of the dental workforce. Earlier this year, Dr. Ortega-Verdugo earned the AADOCR Procter & Gamble Underrepresented Faculty Research Fellowship.

“I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and honored to be selected among this select group of early-career researchers. This program's competition is always high, and this year was particularly challenging. MIND the Future has become a key platform for early-career investigators, making this recognition even more special. I sincerely appreciate the Dean and the school for supporting my participation, as well as my mentors, Drs. Liu, Ramos-Gomez, and Pirih, for their ongoing support and encouragement,” said Dr. Ortega-Verdugo.

Her selection reflects both her scholarly accomplishments and her role as a rising leader in research that bridges clinical and population health perspectives. At UCLA Dentistry, Dr. Ortega-Verdugo serves as chair of courses in Clinical Preventive Dentistry and Quality Improvement in Dentistry and mentors UCLA’s student chapter of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. She holds Diplomate status with the American Board of Dental Public Health. 

The MIND the Future cohort welcomes early-career faculty who demonstrate the potential to become independent investigators and who are committed to promoting inclusion and equity in the dental sciences. With this recognition, Dr. Ortega-Verdugo joins a national community of scholars actively shaping the future of oral health research.