Awards

IADR Distinguished Scientist Award

The IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards are among the most prestigious honors bestowed by IADR to our members. These awards recognize outstanding research achievements in a variety of fields and disciplines and are indelible marks of leadership in our community.

The Science Awards Committee has the responsibility of selecting awardees from among the nominations of renowned scientists submitted by Association members. The Committee consists of the Science Awards chair and the subcommittee chair for each award. The subcommittee members are composed of the previous award recipients. Appointments are made annually for a period of five years on a rotation basis. Any IADR member may nominate a candidate for a science award. Once a nomination is made, it is considered each year for five years unless the nominee is selected for an award during this period. After the fifth year, the nomination is withdrawn unless a re-nomination is received.

  • Science Awards subcommittees are composed of previous winners of the awards; therefore, subcommittee members may not be nominated again for the same award. Members of Science Awards subcommittees may be nominated by another subcommittee. Subcommittee members who have been appointed by the IADR President-elect and who have not already received their subcommittee's award may be nominated for any award; however, appointees must resign if nominated for the award of the subcommittee on which they currently serve.
  • ONLY IADR members may be nominated.
  • Posthumous nominations are not acceptable.
  • Nomination of an individual for more than one award in the same year is discouraged.
  • No person should be awarded two IADR Science Awards for the same research, with the exception of the Edward H. Hatton and Young Investigator Awards. Any nominations for a second award must include written evidence that the nomination is for work in a different field of research.
  • Nomination of members of the IADR Board of Directors is not allowed. If a new member of the IADR Board is a nominee, their nomination will be suspended for the period of their service on the Board.
  • All nominations made within the past five years must be reconsidered in the current selection unless the nominee was selected for an award.
  • Self-nominations are accepted.
Award Prize/Recognition
  • $3,500
  • Commemorative Plaque
Key Dates

Applications Open:

Jul 14, 2025

Applications Closed:

Sep 02, 2025

Apply Now

Any IADR member may nominate a candidate for a science award. All nominations must be submitted via the online system.
Self-nominations are accepted.

The following information MUST accompany each nomination and submitted electronically.

Only nominations submitted online will be accepted.

1. Nomination Reason (no more than 2 pages) describing the reasons you are nominating the individual for the particular award; and
2. Curriculum vitae (no more than 10 pages, 1/2 inch margins and font of at least 11 points or larger.)

The award consists of a $3,500 monetary prize and a plaque and is announced at Opening Ceremonies of the IADR General Session & Exhibition.

Supported by:

Haleon
Haleon Logo
Unilever Oral Care
unilever
Kenvue
Kenvue
Dentsply Sirona
dentsply
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Colgate-Palmolive Company Logo
Church & Dwight Company, Inc
Church&Dwight

2026 Recipients

Basic Research in Biological Mineralization Award

Supported by Unilever Oral Care

Brian Foster, The Ohio State University

Brian Foster
Behavioral, Epidemiologic and Health Services Research Award

Finbarr Allen, University College Cork

Finbarr Allen
Craniofacial Biology Research Award

Joy Richman, The University of British Columbia

 

Joy Richman
Geriatric Oral Research Award

Supported by Haleon
Mario Brondani, The University of British Columbia

Mario Brondani
H. Trendley Dean Memorial Award

Supported by Colgate-Palmolive Company
David Conway, University of Glasgow

David Conway
Isaac Schour Memorial Award

Supported by an endowment provided by Dr. Bernard G. Sarnat and Rhoda G. Sarnat through the Sarnat Family Foundation
Maobin Yang, Temple University

Maobin Yan
John Greenspan Global Oral Health Research Award

Supported by Haleon
Sudeshni Naidoo, University of the Western Cape

Sudeshni Naidoo
Oral Medicine & Pathology Research Award

Alexander Kerr, New York University

Alex Kerr
Pharmacology/Therapeutics/ Toxicology Research Award

Wendy Thompson, The University of Manchester

Wendy Thompson
Pulp Biology & Regeneration Award

Supported by Dentsply Sirona
Hal Duncan, Trinity College Dublin

Hal Duncan
Research in Oral Biology Award

Supported by Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
Xuesong He, ADA Forsyth

Xuesong He
Research in Periodontal Disease Award

Supported by Colgate-Palmolive Company
Hom-Lay Wang, University of Michigan

Hom-Lay Wang
Research in Prosthodontics and Implants Award

Kazuyoshi Baba, Showa University

KAZUYOSHI BABA
Salivary Research Award

Supported by Unilever Oral Care
Mary C. Farach-Carson, UTHealth Houston

Mary(Cindy)Farach-Carson
William H. Bowen Research in Dental Caries Award

Supported by Kenvue
Falk Schwendicke, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Schwendicke, Falk
Wilmer Souder Award

Supported by an endowment provided by the IADR Dental Materials Group
Pekka Vallittu, University of Turku

Pekka Vallittu
Young Investigator Award

Supported by P&G Professional Oral Health, Crest + Oral-B
Chenshuang Li, University of Pennsylvania

Chenshuang Li

Have questions about awards?

Beatrice Nguyen

Assistant Manager, Awards, Fellowships, & Grants

Email me