Dr. William Giannobile receives Ross Award from ADA3 min read
Ann Arbor, Mich., Oct. 15, 2018 -– Dr. William Giannobile, chair of the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine at the School of Dentistry, has received the Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research from the American Dental Association.
The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in clinical investigations that have advanced the diagnosis, treatment and-or prevention of craniofacial, oral and dental diseases, as well as outstanding research endeavors in other areas. The ADA cited Giannobile for his achievements in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and personalized medicine, and his dedication to innovation, collaboration, mentorship and leadership.
The award will be announced this week at the ADA’s annual national conference, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and will be presented to Giannobile at a ceremony at ADA headquarters in Chicago at a later date.
Giannobile is the William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor of Dentistry and a professor of biomedical engineering in the U-M College of Engineering. He is co-director of the Michigan-Pittsburgh-Wyss Regenerative Medicine Research Center, which was established in 2017 with a $14 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Giannobile’s research has widely influenced the management of periodontal disease, translating science from the lab to the clinical level. Among his areas of interest are investigating stem cell therapy and biologics to repair oral bone defects and precision/personalized oral health care.
In addition to his teaching and mentoring of students at the School of Dentistry, Giannobile has a lab at the Biointerfaces Institute at the North Campus Research Complex. He is also editor-in-chief of the Journal of Dental Research.
In announcing the honor, ADA President Joseph P. Crowley cited Giannobile’s commitment and perseverance in clinical research, international respect for his work and his development of new treatment methods and products impacting oral health.
School of Dentistry Dean Laurie McCauley, who nominated Giannobile for the award, noted that he has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator in 46 research studies over the last 25 years. “He is eminently distinguished as a scientist and his work has intersected with clinical dentistry in an amazing number of ways,” she said in her nomination. “Dr. Giannobile has been innovative, has an incredible high-level impact on the science and clinical practice of dentistry, and is dedicated to the training, growth and engagement of individuals in dental clinical research.”
In an interview with the ADA News print and online publication, Giannobile said the honor was surprising and humbling. “Many of the previous recipients of this award are the leaders of our clinical research field as well as mentors to me in my own development,” he said. “As such, I feel very fortunate to be considered among such a group of important contributors to clinical research in the oral health sciences.”
The award is presented annually in memory of Dr. Norton M. Ross, a dentist and pharmacologist who spent most of his career in academic and research positions. Ross elevated clinical research to a higher level of scientific standards, and his contributions to the fields of oral medicine and dental clinical research have had a positive and lasting influence on the public’s oral health, the ADA said. The award was established in 1991 and the inaugural recipient was another U-M School of Dentistry professor, Dr. Sigurd Ramfjord, an internationally recognized leader in the study of periodontology. In 2015, a U-M dental school alumnus, Dr. Niklaus Lang, received the award.
The ADA receives financial support for the award from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.
To read the ADA News profile about Giannobile, go to the ADA website here.