Profile

Photo of Dr. Sunil Kapila

Sunil  Kapila,  B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D.

Professor
Dr. Thomas R. Bales Endowed Chair of the Section of Orthodontics
Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Operations
skapila@dentistry.ucla.edu
Phone
  • (310) 825-4705
Office
13-060 CHS
Address

UCLA School of Dentistry
10833 Le Conte Ave.
Box 951668
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668

Classifications
  • Full-Time Faculty
Academic Sections
  • Orthodontics
Biography

Sunil Kapila, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., is the Dr. Thomas R. Bales Endowed Chair of Orthodontics and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Operations at UCLA School of Dentistry. He obtained his dental degree at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, an M.S. in orthodontics at University of Oklahoma as a Fulbright-Hayes Scholar, and a Ph.D. in Oral Biology from University of California San Francisco (UCSF). His previous appointments include the Eugene E. West Endowed Chair of Orthodontics and CEO of UCSF Dental Center, and the Robert W. Browne Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at University of Michigan. Dr. Kapila is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Besides authoring numerous manuscripts and chapters, he has published two textbooks “Current Therapy in Orthodontics” and “Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Orthodontics.” Dr. Kapila is also Chair of the AAO's Inclusion and Engagement Task Force.

Additional Information

Teaching Activities:

  • Courses Taught / Directed: Biomechanics of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics; Treatment in Progress; Orthognathic Surgical Treatment Planning.

Additional Information :

  • Past President of Craniofacial Biology Group, IADR/AADR;  Inaugural Chair, American Association of Orthodontists Inclusion and Engagement Task Force
  • Associate Editor or Editorial Board member of several journals
  • Co-director of Kenya Summer Research Program (University of Michigan) and Kenya Global Oral Health Program (UCSF)
  • Over 150 international and national invited lectures and whole day courses.
Educational & Professional Background
  • B.D.S., University of Nairobi, Kenya, 1981
  • M.S. and Certificate of Specialization in Orthodontics, University of Oklahoma, 1987
  • Ph.D. in Oral Biology, University of California San Francisco, 1994
  • Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics, 1999
Research & Interests
  • Pathobiology and Omics of TMJ Degenerative Disorders
  • Translational Efficacy of Biomolecules in Regulating Tooth Movement and Bone Regeneration
  • Development of Drug Delivery Systems and Bone Regenerative Medical Devices
  • 3D Imaging for Diagnostic Efficacy, Treatment Outcomes, and Virtual Treatment Planning
Publications
Professional Memberships
  • International Association for Dental Research
  • American Association for Dental and Craniofacial Research
  • American Association of Orthodontists
  • Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists
  • California Association of Orthodontists
  • Fellow, International College of Dentists
  • Omicron Kappa Upsilon
Awards
  • Fulbright Hayes Scholarship, 1984-87
  • Hatton Award Winner, American Association for Dental Research and Hatton Award Finalist, International Association for Dental Research, 1993
  • Omicron Kappa Upsilon, National Dental Honor Society, 1994
  • Milo Hellman Research Award, American Association of Orthodontists, 1995
  • B.F. Dewel Honorary Research Award, American Association of Orthodontists Foundation, 1999
  • Outstanding Alumnus Award, The University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics, 2007
  • Jacob A. Salzmann Lecture, Annual Session of the American Association of Orthodontists, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2013
  • Elected as Fellow of the International College of Dentists, 2013
  • University of California San Francisco 150th Anniversary Alumni Excellence Award Recipient, 2015
  • Edward H. Angle Award Lecture. American Association of Orthodontists, 2022