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The UCLA School of Dentistry is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sunil Kapila as Professor and Chair of Orthodontics, and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Operations starting January 1, 2022. Dr. Kapila brings an impressive list of accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, patient care, service, and academic leadership. He obtained his dental degree at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, an MS in orthodontics at the University of Oklahoma as a Fulbright-Hayes Scholar, and a PhD in Oral Biology from UCSF.

Out of 300 global institutions ranked in the Dentistry & Oral Sciences category by The Shanghai Ranking, UCLA School of Dentistry has once again been named a top six institution for 2021. UCLA Dentistry has consistently been named in the top six globally on this list since its inception in 2017.

Ten active faculty members from the UCLA School of Dentistry were identified as Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University in their world scientist rankings.They include Drs. David Wong, Cun-Yu Wang, Paul Krebsbach, Shane White, Kathryn Atchison, Francisco Ramos-Gomez, and Diana Messadi, as well as three faculty members from the Division of Advanced Prosthodontics and Weintraub Center: Drs. Ben Wu, Ichiro Nishimura, and Takahiro Ogawa.

Jordan Cheng, DMD, a graduate trainee in the Oral Biology Ph.D. program at the UCLA School of Dentistry, was recently awarded the National Cancer Institute’s Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00). The F99/K00 award is to support and retain outstanding graduate students recognized by their institutions for their high potential and strong interest in pursuing careers as independent cancer researchers. The award will facilitate the transition of trainees from their graduate training to postdoctoral appointments at high-impact cancer labs.

The UCLA School of Dentistry is proud to relaunch its tradition of recognizing distinguished alumni who have made sterling contributions in the advancement of dentistry, education, leadership, and public service.

Research on mouse models targets new ‘checkpoint’ that enables cancer stem cells to evade immune system

Researchers from the UCLA School of Dentistry have discovered a key molecule that allows cancer stem cells to bypass the body’s natural immune defenses, spurring the growth and spread of head and neck squamous cell cancers. Their study, conducted in mice, also demonstrates that inhibiting this molecule derails cancer progression and helps eliminate these stem cells.  

UCLA discovery opens a pathway toward the discovery more effective treatments

By targeting an enzyme that plays a key role in head and neck cancer cells, researchers from the UCLA School of Dentistry were able to significantly slow the growth and spread of tumors in mice and enhance the effectiveness of an immunotherapy to which these types of cancers often become resistant.

We are always eager to share positive news of our dental students’ accomplishments and we couldn’t be prouder of the following individuals for winning an essay competition honoring Dr. Clifton O. Dummett, Sr. surrounding diversity in dentistry. The competition honors the late Dr. Dummett, a pioneer in dentistry and dental education. Essays addressed race relations in the profession through the lens of editorials written in the National Dental Association Bulletin from 1953-1975.

Out of the 22 awards across 12 dental schools, five of our UCLA students were award recipients!

Dr. Katy Rosen, Class of 2013, knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare focusing on children and young adults. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Penn., both of her parents were in pediatric healthcare, therefore the decision came easy. In fact, all four of her siblings are now in healthcare. After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh with a major in German and minor in Chemistry, she applied to and was accepted into the UCLA School of Dentistry Class of 2013.

Philip Trask has been a butcher’s apprentice, an artilleryman, a telephone lineman and, at one point, a juvenile gang member. But it’s as an instructor and mentor at the UCLA School of Dentistry that the longtime pediatric dentist found a true calling, one that has complemented his years of service to the wider Los Angeles community.