Five Faculty Members Named American College of Dentists Fellows

Five people in a grid of headshots
Ting-Ling Chang, Alireza Moshaverinia, Yusuke Hamada, Esteban Bonilla, and Beatriz Bezerra, (clockwise from top-left) were formally conferred as fellows during the ACD Annual Session in New Orleans on Oct. 18.
October 23, 2024

Five UCLA School of Dentistry faculty members have been selected as fellows by the American College of Dentists (ACD). The quintet – Drs. Beatriz Bezerra, Esteban Bonilla, Ting-Ling Chang, Yusuke Hamada, and Alireza Moshaverinia – were formally conferred as fellows during the ACD Annual Session in New Orleans on Oct. 18.

Nominations and selection into the ACD are based on exceptional leadership, achievements, and involvement in the dental profession and community. Fellows are expected to strive for continued personal and professional improvement and make significant contributions to the field. Approximately 3.5% of all practicing dentists in the U.S. hold ACD Fellow distinction, while the Southern California Section – one of 51 nationally – has around 450 members.

“The UCLA School of Dentistry has a rich history of representation in the American College of Dentists. I congratulate these exceptional colleagues on becoming ACD fellows, and I expect their membership will benefit our entire School community,” said Dean and Professor Paul H. Krebsbach.

Beatriz Bezerra, D.D.S., Ph.D., is a health sciences assistant clinical professor and director of the pre-doctoral program in the Section of Periodontics. Her research focuses on periodontal disease and bone loss as they relate to factors like bacterial infections and the immune system. Dr. Bezerra is a Diplomate of American Board of Periodontology, among other professional affiliations.

Ting-Ling Chang, D.D.S., is a health sciences clinical professor, serving as chair of the Section of Prosthodontics and residency program director for Maxillofacial Prosthetics. Her research and interests include cleft lip and palate rehabilitation, implant biomechanics, and patient-centered outcome studies relating to the maxillofacial area. A recipient of the School’s Teaching Award in 2004 and 2006, Dr. Chang holds professional memberships in several dental specialty organizations.

Yusuke Hamada, D.D.S., M.S.D., is a health sciences associate clinical professor in Periodontics, directing its postgraduate residency program. His research interests include digital technology in periodontics and implant dentistry, as well as etiology and treatment of peri-implantitis, to name a few. A diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, Dr. Hamada has earned several teaching awards from the American Academy of Periodontology.

Alireza Moshaverinia, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., F.A.C.P., is a professor in Prosthodontics. A Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, he has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed research papers in areas spanning dental biomaterials, tissue engineering, and stem cell biology. Among several career accolades, he earned the American College of Prosthodontists’ 2019 Distinguished Researcher Award and the International Association of Dental Research’s Young Investigator Award in 2018.

Esteban D. Bonilla, D.D.S., a continuing lecturer in Restorative Dentistry while also maintaining a private practice in Toluca Lake, Calif. He has published and lectured nationwide and overseas on his research works on new concepts on dental materials, clinical cases, and the development of new restorative technology in Esthetic/Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics.