Kim, Hayashi, and Ramos-Gomez Take on Leadership Roles in Preventive and Restorative Sciences

Dr. Reuben Kim, Marc Hayashi and Francisco Ramos-Gomez, left to right
Drs. Reuben Kim, Marc Hayashi, and Francisco Ramos-Gomez (l-r) form the Division of Preventative and Restorative Sciences' leadership team.
July 16, 2024

Reuben Kim, D.D.S. ’03, Ph.D. ’08, has been appointed chair of the UCLA School of Dentistry’s Division of Preventive and Restorative Sciences, while Marc Hayashi, D.M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.D, F.I.C.D., is the new chair of the Section of Restorative Dentistry.

Meanwhile, Francisco Ramos Gomez, D.D.S., M.S., M.H.P., will helm the Section of Pediatric Dentistry, a role he has held on an interim basis since October 2023.

“With this academic division reorganization, we are reinforcing the strengths across our faculty,” said Dean and Professor Paul H. Krebsbach. “This change was motivated, in part, to empower outstanding mid-level professors such as Dr. Hayashi with leadership opportunities.”

Dr. Hayashi assumes the chair of the School’s largest academic section from Dr. Kim, who also holds the Naomi and Jim Ellison Endowed Chair. Dr. Kim directs the six-quarter-long direct restoration courses for first- and second-year dental students and is an active practitioner in the UCLA Faculty Group Dental Practice. Having spent his entire career at UCLA, his research interests span osteomucosal healing, the role of epigenetics in aging and oral carcinogenesis, and pulp regeneration.

The Alumni and Friends Presidential Endowed Chair, Dr. Hayashi joined the School’s faculty in 2013. In November 2023, he became the third UCLA Dentistry educator to earn the California Dental Association (CDA) Foundation Board of Directors’ prestigious Dr. Arthur A. Dugoni Faculty Award, recognizing excellence in teaching activities. Dr. Hayashi has conducted extensive research on dental materials, with an emphasis on adhesives.

Arriving at the School in 2008, Dr. Ramos-Gomez has held numerous leadership positions, including his current role as Director of the UCLA Center for Children’s Oral Health. A pediatric dentist for more than 30 years, his research focuses on early childhood caries prevention, oral health disparities, and community health with an emphasis on underserved populations. Dr. Ramos-Gomez was recently recognized by the Hispanic Dental Association for 25 years of service with this national organization.

“I would like to thank Dr. Ramos-Gomez for his outstanding efforts and leadership of both the Division and the Section of Pediatric Dentistry and Dr. Kim for his exceptional work reinvigorating the Section of Restorative Dentistry since we reorganized the School structure a few years ago,” added Krebsbach.