Alexandria, Va. – Dr. Renny Franceschi will be presented with the 2008 Biological Mineralization Award at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) 86th General Session & Exhibition in Toronto, ON, Canada on July 2, 2008. Dr. Franceschi is a Professor at the University of Michigan, School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor.
With a National Institutes of Health (NIH) post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Franceschi performed research in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin and served as Associate Dean for Research at the University of Michigan, and as president of the IADR Mineralized Tissue Group.
He has published approximately100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, and is particularly well-known for scientific contributions to the field of mineralized tissue research. He identified type I collagen and fibronectin as targets for vitamin D regulation; established the essential role of ascorbic-acid-dependent collagen synthesis in osteoblast differentiation; established several widely used clonal osteoblast cell lines; established the importance of collagenintegrin interactions and signaling pathways in osteoblast differentiation; described signaling pathways regulating the osteoblast transcription factor Runx2; identified a homeodomain protein-binding element in the bone sialoprotein promoter that is necessary for expression in osteoblasts in vivo; described novel interactions between transcription factors that are required for gene expression in osteoblasts; and developed adenovirus/retrovirus-based gene therapy approaches for regenerating bone using novel combinations of BMPs, Runx2, and regulated gene expression. Dr. Franceschi is being honored for these scientific achievements.
The Biological Mineralization Award is generously supported by Unilever Oral Care. One of the 16 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards, it is one of the highest honors bestowed by the IADR. The award consists of a cash award and a plaque and is designed to stimulate, encourage, and recognize basic research in the field of biological mineralization.
About the International Association for Dental Research
The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a non-profit organization with more than 10,500 individual members worldwide, dedicated to: (1) advancing research and increasing knowledge to improve oral health, (2) supporting the oral health research community, and (3) facilitating the communication and application of research findings for the improvement of oral health worldwide. To learn more about the IADR, visit www.iadr.org .