Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) has announced Talita Ventura as the 2026 recipient of the IADR John Greenspan Travel Award. Ventura, from the University of São Paulo, 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.
Talita Mendes Oliveira Ventura is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Bauru School of Dentistry at the University of São Paulo (FOB-USP), Brazil. She earned her B.Sc. in Biomedicine with a habilitation in Clinical Pathology from Paulista University (2013). She subsequently completed a Master of Science degree in Oral Biology and Stomatology (2016) and a Ph.D. in Sciences with emphasis on Oral Biology, Stomatology, Radiology, and Oral Imaging at FOB-USP. During her doctoral studies, she undertook a sandwich doctoral fellowship at the University of Bern, Switzerland, supported by a research internship abroad fellowship funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). She later completed her postdoctoral training in the Biochemistry Laboratory at FOB-USP, also funded by FAPESP.
Ventura has a robust scientific record with 72 peer-reviewed publications in journals with selective editorial policies, one book chapter on proteomic analysis published by Springer Nature, 781 citations and an h-index of 17 (Scopus), 809 citations and an h-index of 17 (Web of Science), and over 1.202 citations with an h-index of 21 (Google Scholar). She has received 20 awards at scientific meetings and conferences, including an Honorable Mention at the CAPES Thesis Award (2022) in the field of Dentistry.
She has been a member of the Brazilian Society for Dental Research and of the IADR since 2018.
Her multidisciplinary research focuses on salivary proteomics, the acquired enamel pellicle, dental erosion, fluoride biology, and biomarkers in head and neck cancer, with particular emphasis on the biological and molecular effects of radiotherapy — currently the central theme of her research. She also supervises undergraduate research projects funded by FAPESP and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.
Funded by generous contributions from IADR donors, the IADR John Greenspan Travel Award is given annually in the amount of $2,000 to new investigators residing in low to middle-income countries to attend and present their research at the IADR General Session. IADR members who are new investigators within 10 years of completing their last terminal degree (Ph.D., D.D.S., D.M.D., or equivalent) at the time of the submission deadline are eligible to apply for the award when submitting an abstract for an IADR General Session. The award is in memory of John Greenspan, a past president of IADR with a distinguished five-decade career in oral pathology, oral medicine, and global oral health initiatives.
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.
