Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) has announced Pekka Vallittu as the 2026 recipient of the IADR Distinguished Scientist Wilmer Souder Award. Vallittu, from the University of Turku, Finland, 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.
Vallittu is a Professor and Chair of Biomaterials Science at the Department of Biomaterials Science at the Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku. He is a member of the board of the University of Turku and an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong.
Vallittu received his Doctor of Odontology (Ph.D.) from the University of Kuopio. Since 2000, he has been a European Prosthodontic Association (EPA) Recognized Specialist in Prosthodontics (Specialist in Prosthetic Dentistry and Stomatognathic Physiology) at the University of Turku. He is a highly distinguished scientist in the area of biomaterials, particularly biocomposites and bioactive materials.
Several companies have been established based on his work, leading to the introduction of new dental and medical treatments in clinical practice. He developed and implanted bioactive composite implants that have been commercialized. He has published 765 peer reviewed scientific papers, his work was cited approximately 45,000 times, and he has an H-index of 111. He is a regular speaker at national and international meetings and has been the recipient of several awards, such as the Apollonia Finnish Dental Society Silver Decoration and the Scandinavian Society for Biomaterials Award.
The IADR Wilmer Souder Award recognizes excellence in the field of dental materials research among those scientists who, through research in this field, bring about outstanding advances in dental health. Established and supported by an endowment provided by the IADR Dental Materials Group, the award is one of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards and one of the highest honors bestowed by the IADR.
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.
