July Expert Webinar with Dr. Rena D'Souza: Breaking Barriers
Join us Tuesday, Jul 14 for an Expert Webinar, featuring Dr. Rena D'Souza, DDS, MS, PhD, as our spotlight speaker. The webinar is entitled "Breaking Barriers: Career Insights from a Woman of Color’s Journey to the Pinnacle of Dental Leadership."
This is an open invite webinar and complimentary for all. Share this email with your dental networks, especially students, those early in their careers or looking to make a transition!
🗓 Thursday, Jul 14, 2026
⏰ 3:30–4:30 PM EST
📍 Virtual (Zoom)
About Dr. D'Souza and Her List of Firsts
Dr. Rena N. D'Souza, DDS, MS, PhD, is a trailblazing figure in American dentistry and biomedical research, widely recognized as the:
First Woman of Color to serve as Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the National Institutes of Health — a position she held as the institute's ninth director before her recent retirement.
First Woman of Color to serve as Dean of the University of Utah School of Dentistry, where she held the Ole and Marty Jensen endowed chair.
First Woman of Color to serve as President of both the American Association for Dental and Oral Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) and the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) — the two most prestigious professional bodies in the field.
As NIDCR Director, she stewarded an annual budget exceeding $520 million, overseeing research in oral cancer, periodontal disease, craniofacial development, and orofacial pain, while launching landmark nationwide initiatives including PRIMED, AHEAD, and TMD IMPACT.
A clinician-scientist with more than 170 publications spanning craniofacial genetics, matrix biology, and tissue regeneration, Dr. D'Souza has built a legacy defined as much by scientific excellence as by barrier-breaking leadership. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and of AADOCR, an inductee of the German National Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine's Birnberg Research Medal, two IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards, the Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished National Mentoring Award, and the inaugural Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, among many other honors.
Throughout her career, Dr. D'Souza has remained a passionate advocate for mentoring the next generation of researchers, ensuring that her historic impact extends far beyond her own achievements. We are helping her build a pipeline so the next generation of color doesn't have to be the First!
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