Alexandria, VA, USA – A symposium honoring the late Harold Slavkin and his role as a pioneer in the field of craniofacial biology was presented at the 104th General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 50th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research on March 25-28, 2026 in San Diego, CA, USA.
Dr. Harold Slavkin served as Director of the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research and lead the initiative to change the name from the previous National Institute for Dental Research to expand the research area. This symposium will highlight cutting-edge research being performed today and its impact on bench side research as well as on population and public health. It will provide a unique perspective on the interconnections of dental, oral, and craniofacial research, practice, and policy.
The first presentation highlighted discoveries in amelogenesis in the broader context of craniofacial biology. The second presentation examined the intersection of craniofacial biology research within the broader landscape of oral and public health. The third presentation discussed the evolution of methods and approaches in studying craniofacial morphogenesis and craniofacial biology. The final presentation expanded on stem cells, tissue regeneration, and the growth of the field of craniofacial biology and their impact on improving human health.
Organized by Yang Chai, University of Southern California, with presentations from Janet Oldak, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Ophir Klein, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Jan Hu, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, and Dushanka V. Kleinman, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA, the symposium, “Birth of a Discipline: Honoring Hal Slavkin's Contribution to Craniofacial Biology” took place on Saturday, March 28 at 8 a.m. PDT (UTC-7).
About IADR/AADOCR
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. The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is the largest division of IADR. Learn more at www.iadr.org.
