Harvard Dental School Dean Wins American Dental Association Award for Research

Harvard School of Dental Medicine Dean William V. Giannobile was presented with the American Dental Association’s 2024 Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Dental Research last Friday.

The triennial honor — which recognizes an individual who has either advanced dentistry through research or has significantly improved oral public health — acknowledges Giannobile’s contributions both to research and student mentorship.

“I could not have achieved what I have done in my career without the loving support of my family, my colleagues, mentors, and inspiring students,” Giannobile wrote in an emailed statement.

Giannobile has contributed to research in fields including bone and tissue regeneration, stem cell therapy, and precision medicine. His lab at HSDM focuses on bone reconstruction, dental implants, and gene delivery methods that speed up dental implant osseointegration, when an implant becomes fused to the bone.

As part of winning the award, Giannobile will receive a three-year term on the ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs. Past honorees of the award include Basil G. Bibby, the 27th president of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Reconstruction.

Prior to becoming HSDM dean in 2020, Giannobile served as professor and department chair of periodontics and oral medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. He received a Doctor of Medical Sciences degree from HSDM and dental and masters degrees from the University of Missouri School of Dentistry.

“The students and innovative collaborators over the years make all of our research possible. I am so grateful to them in advancing oral health research forward,” Giannobile wrote.

—Staff writer Veronica H. Paulus can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @VeronicaHPaulus.

—Staff writer Akshaya Ravi can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @akshayaravi22.