NIDCR Deputy Director Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque, DDS, PhD, was named the 2022 recipient of the Distinguished Scientist Award in Oral Medicine & Pathology Research by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). The recognition was announced at the IADR/Asia Pacific Region virtual General Session and Exhibition, June 20-25. The award was presented to her at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD.
“Dr. Webster-Cyriaque has contributed a wealth of knowledge to our understanding of oral immunology in the context of viral pathology and the oral microbiome,” said Rena D’Souza, DDS, PhD, director of NIDCR and former president of IADR. “This award is well-deserved recognition for what she’s accomplished so far in her impressive career.”
The award honors an outstanding track record of peer-reviewed research on the mechanisms of health and disease in the oral cavity and related tissues, including skin, bone, and oral soft tissue.
Dr. Webster-Cyriaque joined NIDCR as deputy director in December 2021 after serving as a tenured full professor at the University of North Carolina’s schools of dentistry and medicine. While at UNC she led research into a potential etiologic agent for salivary gland disease in patients living with HIV, assessed the oral microbiome and its implications for cancer-causing viruses, and studied the impact of the oral microbiome and oral health on HIV outcomes. Additionally, Dr. Webster-Cyriaque has held leadership roles as the chair/vice chair of the Oral HIV/AIDS Research Alliance, as research director at the National Dental Association Foundation, as director of postdoctoral Clinical and Translational Science Awards training, along with multiple roles within the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the IADR.
Dr. Webster-Cyriaque is the latest NIDCR scientist to receive an IADR Distinguished Scientist Award. She joins a long list of earlier institute recipients that includes NIDCR Director Dr. Rena D’Souza (IADR DSA in Pulp Biology Research) and Acting NIH Director Lawrence Tabak, DDS, PhD (IADR DSA for Salivary Gland Biology Research).