Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) has announced Finbarr Allen as the 2026 recipient of the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Behavioral, Epidemiologic, and Health Services Research. Allen, from University College Cork, was recognized during the Opening Ceremonies of 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.
Allen has been an officer of the IADR Geriatric Oral Research Group and other IADR Scientific Research Groups for many years. He currently serves as a Professor and Consultant in Oral Rehabilitation & Restorative Dentistry at University College Cork, Ireland. His research centers on enhancing the quality of life for the elderly, with a particular emphasis on evaluating the outcomes of interventions related to health-related quality of life, oral comfort, and nutrition.
Allen has successfully led numerous randomized clinical trials and population health studies. Additionally, he has developed innovative methods for interpreting health-related quality of life data in clinical trials. To date, he has published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers and research abstracts in dental literature, along with two textbooks and eleven book chapters. Previously, he received the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Geriatric Oral Research in 2011 and the IADR Distinguished Service Award in 2025.
The IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Behavioral, Epidemiological, and Health Services Research is designed to stimulate and recognize outstanding achievements in the areas of behavioral science and health services research as they relate to dentistry and is one of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards and it is one of the highest honors bestowed by IADR. The award consists of a monetary award and a plaque, and is designed to stimulate, encourage, and recognize behavioral science and health services research as they relate to dentistry.
About IADR
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. Learn more at www.iadr.org.
