Yvonne L. Kapila, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, as the 2019 recipient of the AADR Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished Mentoring Award. Kapila was recognized at the Opening Ceremonies of the 97th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), held in conjunction with the 48th Annual Meeting of the AADR and the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR). The IADR/AADR/CADR General Session & Exhibition is held at the Vancouver Convention Centre West Building in Vancouver, BC, Canada from June 19-22, 2019.
Kapila, a Professor in Orofacial Sciences at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, is a leader in the area of extracellular matrix biology especially as it relates to the orofacial complex. She has made important discoveries on the mechanisms that regulate anoikis, programmed cell death or apoptosis triggered by loss of extracellular matrix contact and focuses on identifying matrix components and novel receptors that mediate this process in head and neck cancer and in periodontal disease.
Kapila has mentored over 100 Ph.D., D.D.S., M.D., M.S. and undergraduate students over the course of her career in either dissertation work, lab rotations, summer research projects, D.D.S./pathways projects, global research projects or IT research projects. Her mentoring also extends to international scholars and visiting faculty members.
Through this award, Kapila is being honored for her extensive experience and devotion to the mentoring and training of the next generation of scientists. The award consists of a plaque and a monetary award of $1,000.
The AADR Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished Mentoring Award was established to provide national recognition for outstanding efforts to foster and promote research training and career development of students, trainees and junior faculty. It is intended to identify individuals at all levels of their career with an exemplary record of mentoring. This award was renamed in 2012 in honor of its first recipient, Irwin D. Mandel.
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About the American Association for Dental Research
The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) is a nonprofit organization with nearly 3,400 individual members dedicated to: (1) advancing research and increasing knowledge for the improvement of oral health, (2) supporting and representing the oral health research community, and (3) facilitating the communication and application of research findings. AADR is the largest Division of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). To learn more, visit http://www.iadr.org/aadr .