Alexandria, VA, USA – The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) has named the recipients of the 2024 AADOCR Delta Dental Institute Oral Health Equity Research Award. The recipients were recognized during the Opening Ceremonies of the 102nd General Session of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR), which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the AADOCR and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024 in New Orleans, LA, USA.
The recipients are Jason Semprini, University of Iowa, Iowa City, and Marvellous Akinlotan, Texas A&M University, College Station. Both received the award under the Access to Care category.
Semprini is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar in the College of Public Health, at the University of Iowa. His research includes relationships between public dental coverage and oral cancer detection which supports a long-term agenda evaluating policies for their effect on oral health and cancer outcomes, then effectively disseminating and translating his research into policies advancing health equity.
Akinlotan is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University School of Dentistry, has a background in the evaluation of the impact of health policies focusing on rural-urban, racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographical disparities. Akinlotan’s contribution to science falls into four broad areas Identifying the impact of regulatory and dental workforce factors on ED visits for dental-related conditions, informing health policies and programs for rural populations, identifying the behavioral and structural barriers to cancer screening among women, and evaluating the impact of immigration policy on birth outcomes using econometric measures.
Established in 2023 with generous support from the Delta Dental Institute, the AADOCR Delta Dental Institute Oral Health Equity Research Award supports two research awards of $25,000 each in the areas of 1) advancing recommendations for greater oral health equity in populations that lack access to dental care, and 2) improving oral health literacy for underserved populations.
About IADR
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. Learn more at www.iadr.org.
About AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being. AADOCR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit and private-sector institutions who share our mission. AADOCR is the largest division of the International Association for Dental Research. Learn more at www.aadocr.org.