Meet Dr. Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila, Associate Dean for Research

Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila (left) helping with survey work in Kenya
Dr. Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila (left) providing oral hygiene instructions during a 2019 Global Initiatives Kenya trip.
August 17, 2022

A new era of discovery is underway at the UCLA School of Dentistry with the appointment of Dr. Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila as associate dean for research and the Felix and Mildred Yip Endowed Chair.

Beginning her UCLA tenure in May 2022, Dr. Hernandez-Kapila oversees a robust research program with more than $21M in contracts and grants awarded last fiscal year, with approximately 50 active initiatives at any given time.

In addition, Dr. Hernandez-Kapila serves as a professor of dentistry in the School’s sections of Biosystems and Function as well as Periodontics. She joined our faculty from the UC San Francisco School of Dentistry, where she was the R. Earl Robinson Distinguished Professor and Chair of Periodontology.

“Dr. Hernandez-Kapila is a skilled clinician, dedicated educator, and productive and well-funded scientist,” said UCLA School of Dentistry Dean Dr. Paul Krebsbach. “We are so fortunate that she has brought her energy and expertise to Westwood.”

Dr. Hernandez-Kapila completed her professional training at UCSF (D.D.S., 1990; Periodontology residency, 1994; Ph.D., 1997; and Postdoctoral training, 1998) before joining the academic ranks as an assistant professor in the division of periodontology. She was then recruited to the University of Michigan, where she rose through the ranks to professor and served as founding director of Global Oral Health Initiatives before returning to Northern California in 2016.

With a research program focusing on the cell and molecular biologic mechanisms that regulate the pathogenesis of head and neck cancer and periodontal disease, Dr. Hernandez-Kapila has published more than 140 peer-reviewed journal articles over a 25-year career.

Dr. Kapila has mentored more than 100 Ph.D., D.D.S., D.D.S./Ph.D., M.D., Masters, and undergraduate students in either dissertation work, lab rotations, summer research projects, NIH fellowships, and global research projects.

“My vision and one of our School’s goals is to seed and nurture early passions for research by creating resources and programs for our student scientists,” said Dr. Hernandez-Kapila. “In addition, a critical point in a faculty member’s career advancement is their ability to successfully develop scholarly endeavors; thus mentoring our transitioning scholars, as well as junior and early career faculty with programs that help them succeed in grant and manuscript writing is another primary goal.

“We will work collectively to support the UCLA School of Dentistry’s community of researchers, helping them make the next great discoveries to advance human oral and systemic health!”

Dr. Hernandez-Kapila has been honored with several awards for her academic achievements, including the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Edward H. Hatton Award, the American Academy of Periodontology Balint Orban Award, the American Academy of Periodontology Distinguished Scientist Award, the AADR Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished Mentoring award, and most recently, UCSF’s Alumni Medal of Honor Award earlier this year.