Messadi Recognized with Egyptian American Organization’s Highest Honor

Diana Messadi with five UCLA dentistry students
Dr. Diana Messadi (third from left) celebrated her Outstanding Achievement Award from the Egyptian American Organization with members of the Arab Dental Student Association/Middle-Eastern Dental Student Association. (photo courtesy of EAO)
March 29, 2023

UCLA School of Dentistry Professor Diana V. Messadi, D.D.S., M.M.SC., D.M.SC., has received the Egyptian American Organization’s (EAO) Outstanding Achievement Award for 2023.

The honor, presented March 5 in a ceremony held at the UCLA Faculty Club, represents the EAO’s highest recognition. Presiding over the ceremony were organization president Mrs. Amani Kamel and Ahmed Shaheen, Egyptian Consul General in Los Angeles. A photo gallery from the event can be found here.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award from my compatriots, and to celebrate the greater Egyptian diaspora in the United States,” Messadi said. “Professionally, what gives me fulfillment and satisfaction is mentoring students and junior faculty – adding value to the mission of our School – and supporting my community.”

Dr. Messadi is the chair of the Section of Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Orofacial Pain and has been a member of the School’s faculty for the past 34 years. She recently completed a seven-year tenure as associate dean for academic affairs. She is actively involved in didactic and clinical teaching for both pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students and she chairs several courses which integrate biomedical and dental sciences in areas of disease diagnosis and management.

A prolific researcher, Dr. Messadi has written over 75 peer-reviewed papers, 15 book chapters and 92 abstracts. Her clinical research focuses on new diagnostic tools to detect oral precancerous and cancerous lesions.

After receiving her B.D.S. and D.D.S. degrees (with distinction) from Egypt’s Alexandria University, Dr. Messadi completed her postdoctoral training at Harvard University, earning both an M.M.Sc. and D.M.Sc. in oral biology as well as a residency training certificate in oral pathology and oral medicine. She returned to Alexandria University to serve on its faculty for two years before moving to UCLA in 1989.

In 2018 Dr. Messadi started UCLA’s chapter of the Arab Dental Student Association/Middle-Eastern Dental Student Association (ADSA/MEDSA), and she now serves as its faculty advisor. ADSA/MEDSA student board members joined Dr. Messadi on March 5 to celebrate her award.

Founded in 1984, the Egyptian American Organization’s goals are to:

  • To provide a forum for Egyptian Americans to serve their interests and preserve their rich cultural traditions
  • To promote understanding and enhance interaction between the Egyptian American community and the rest of the American public and its institutions
  • To promote understanding and cooperation between the American and Egyptian peoples, and support Egypt’s efforts toward progress.