• Recognition
• Expressions Winter 2021

Acclaimed Internationally & Locally

Faculty Members Received Various International and Local Awards Affirming Their Dedication

Six members from the Faculty received awards or fellowships at the 99th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). Due to COVID-19, the award ceremony was held virtually on 21 July.

IADR E.W. Borrow Memorial Award

Professor Edward Lo, Chair Professor, Dental Public Health

Professor Lo received the reputable E.W. Borrow Memorial Award in recognition of his contributions and significant research achievements in children’s oral health. Professor Lo has conducted numerous oral epidemiological studies and clinical trials on children in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

He developed with evidence-based approach novel methods for treating tooth decay by using topical fluorides and atraumatic restorative treatment to prevent and control dental caries in children, which have been adopted by the World Health Organization and professional dental organizations worldwide.

“With over 300 peer-reviewed publications and 68 research and project grants to his name, Lo is a distinguished dental researcher, educator and public health worker. He has contributed significantly to the development of various innovative and effective approaches in the prevention and treatment of dental caries in children, the training of many dental public health experts who are current leaders in the field and the implementation of outreach dental care service programs for children,” said IADR in its press release.

I will continue to conduct innovative research and make good use of the studies’ findings in clinical practice to promote the oral health of children in Hong Kong, China and other parts of the world through various public health projects.

Professor Lo is grateful to his research team members who have put in sustained effort on focused themes and his international network of collaborators. “They have contributed greatly to the success of my research work.” He believes it is important to translate the knowledge gained from research into practice so as to benefit the community and seek their support.

Aspired to achieve decay-free among children, Professor Lo said “I will continue to conduct innovative research and make good use of the studies’ findings in clinical practice to promote the oral health of children in Hong Kong, China and other parts of the world through various public health projects.”

IADR Distinguished Scientist H. Trendley Dean Memorial Award

Professor May Wong, Professor, Dental Public Health

With her dedication to promoting dental public health over the past two decades, Professor Wong received the H. Trendley Dean Memorial Award. It recognizes her meritorious research in oral epidemiology and public health.

She is among the pioneers who introduced the use of multi-level statistics to analyze the hierarchically structured oral epidemiological data. Besides, she is also one of the early researchers who studied the oral health-related quality of life and promoted the use of well-conducted systematic reviews to generate high-quality evidence to guide clinical practice in dentistry.

Professor Wong is delighted to receive this award and she is thankful to all the colleagues and students who have partnered with her on a remarkable journey. “I hope this will be a step to further enhancement for dental public health research to be applied in the region and benefit the community in the long run”, she said.

IADR Innovation in Oral Care Award

Dr Prasanna Neelakantan, Clinical Assistant Professor, Endodontology

Dr Neelakantan is one of the three recipients of the IADR Innovation in Oral Care Award which offers outstanding researchers in the field the opportunity to perform direct and high impact dental research with translational potential. He aims to develop an innovative strategy employing advanced biomaterials to tackle oral fungal infections, which is a common and devastating disease in the elderly and immunocompromised patients.

He feels honoured to have his work recognized by the IADR and expressed his gratitude to his team and collaborators. “Without them to walk along with me, I would not receive this award”, he said.

AADR / IADR William J. Gies Award

Dr Mohammed Zahedul Islam Nizami, Postdoctoral Fellow, Restorative Dental Sciences

Dr Nizami won the AADR/IADR William J. Gies Award in Biomaterials and Bioengineering Research for his inspiring project “Functionalized Graphene Oxide Shields Tooth Dentin from Decalcification”.

He thanks his former supervisor Professor Shogo Takashiba and Professor Yuta Nishina (from Okayama University) for their guidance and support. He is looking forward to working on cariology research in HKU with Professor CH Chu, Clinical Professor in Cariology.

IADR Toshio Nakao Fellowship

Dr Ting Zou, Postdoctoral Fellow, Restorative Dental Science

Dr Zou is the 2021 recipient of the IADR Toshio Nakao Fellowship. Her outstanding research project on biofunctional materials with antimicrobial and angiogenic potential for translational applications in oral tissue regeneration brought her this award. With the support of the fellowship, she will visit and have training at the University of Michigan.

“I feel honoured to receive this award. It is a huge milestone in my career.” Dr Zou said. She also expresses her gratitude to her supervisor, Professor Chengfei Zhang, Clinical Professor in Endodontics for his enlightenment.

Moving forward, she would like to conduct further research in multidisciplinary fields, with a primary focus on creating novel biomaterials and applying them in oral health care and medical science.

IADR Pediatric Oral Health Research Young Investigator Award

Dr Pei Liu, Postdoctoral Fellow, Applied Oral Sciences & Community Dental Care

Dr Liu won the IADR Pediatric Oral Health Research Young Investigator Award with the project “Family-centered Oral Health Promotion in Preventing Early Childhood Caries”, a clinical trial delivering promising strategies that reduce children’s dental caries.

She deeply appreciates her supervisors, Professor May Wong and Professor Edward Lo. “Their intelligence, prudent attitude on academics and persistent encouragement motivate my passion for research,” she said. In addition, she also appreciates graduated PhD students Wen Weiye and Yu Kafung for their dedicated work for implementing the project successfully.

She is looking forward to innovating and conducting studies with scientific merit in caries prevention and dental public health.

IADR Colgate Research in Prevention Travel Award

Dr John Niu, PhD student

With his presentation titled “A novel dual-action antimicrobial peptide for caries management”, Dr John Niu, PhD candidate, won the IADR Colgate Research in Prevention Travel Award.

Dr Niu believes the award has marked the beginning of his research career. He is thankful to his supervisor, Professor CH Chu and co-supervisor Dr May Lei Mei for their continuous support and invaluable advice.

Academic Staff Elected as VP of IADR Group

Professor Michael Botelho has been elected as the Vice President of the IADR Dental Education Group

In addition, Professor Michael Botelho, Clinical Professor in Prosthodontics and Dr Duangporn Duangthip, Clinical Assistant Professor in Cariology, have been elected as Vice President of the Dental Education Group and Vice President of the Pediatric Oral Health Research Group of the IADR, respectively, starting from July.

Joined IADR in 1994 in South Africa, Professor Botelho has been an avid supporter of dental education research for over two decades. “It’s a great honour and privilege to be the VP of the Dental Education Group.” he said. He will support young educational researchers and guide them through their pathway.

Passionate about child oral health research, in particular caries management, Dr Duangthip is hoping her new position will allow her to engage in dental professional community and form a research platform to create positive impact on children’s health, such as reducing the number of cases of severe early childhood tooth decay around the world. She has been a supporting member of IADR since 2001.

Dr Duangporn Duangthip has been elected as the Vice President of IADR Pediatric Oral Health Research Group