Ma Elected AAAS Fellow2 min read
Ann Arbor, MI — November 25, 2013 — Dr. Peter Ma, the Richard Kingery Endowed Professor of Dentistry in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, has been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He was among 388 scientists nationwide to be awarded the honor for his work.
Each year, the AAAS elects members because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. AAAS honored Ma “for distinguished contributions to biomimetic biomaterials, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine” in dentistry and oral health sciences.
Ma’s research focuses on developing materials that have dental and medical applications. Some of the materials, such as those used in restorative dentistry, are developed to replace the structure and function of damaged or diseased tissues and organs. Some are developed as scaffolds (matrix materials) for cells to grow on and eventually develop into new tissues. As the new tissues develop, the scaffolds degrade and resorb, leading to completely “natural” tissue replacement and/or regeneration.
Last year, Ma was elected Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering of the International Union of Societies of Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Earlier this year, he won the Isaac Schour Memorial Distinguished Scientist Award from International Association of Dental Research and a Clemson Award from the Society for Biomaterials. Ma was named one of the Top 100 materials scientists in the world by Thomson Reuters in 2011. He ranked 76th among the world’s top materials scientists whose published research papers were among the most frequently cited by peer researchers worldwide between 2000 and 2010.
In addition to his appointment at the School of Dentistry Ma has several appointments at the College of Engineering – Biomedical Engineering, Macromolecular Science and Engineering, and Materials Science Engineering.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (www.aaas.org) is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science as well asScience Translational Medicine and Science Signaling. Founded in 1848, AAAS serves 261 affiliated societies and academies of science serving 10 million individuals. The non-profit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to advance science and serve society through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education and other endeavors.