Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) announced that Fatemeh Momen-Heravi is this year’s recipient of the IADR Distinguished Scientist Young Investigator Award. Momen-Heravi, from Columbia University, New York, USA, was recognized during the Opening Ceremonies of the 101st General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 9th Meeting of the Latin American Region and the 12th World Congress on Preventive Dentistry, that took place on June 21, 2023, in Bogotá, Colombia.
Momen-Heravi is an Associate Professor at the College of Dental Medicine, a clinician-scientist, a board-certified periodontist, and a member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University. She received her DDS from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and her PhD from the University of Westminster, London, UK. She is also an MPH recipient from the Harvard University School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, USA, and MS in Periodontics from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.
Momen-Heravi’s graduate work was focused on exosomes and microRNAs in disease pathogenesis and opportunities for molecular targeting. In her postdoc training she continued working on the role of microRNA and exosomes/microvesicles in inflammatory response pathways in monocytes/macrophages. Continuing her passion towards small RNA profiling, biomarker discoveries, and extracellular vesicles, she started her independent laboratory at Columbia University to discover the role of exosomes/extracellular vesicles, non-coding RNAs, and inflammatory pathways in the pathogenesis of head and neck cancer and in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.
Momen-Heravi has presented various papers on this subject at IADR and other scientific meetings and has more than 100 publications to her credit. She is also the recipient of many prestigious awards and honors in research, including the AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery Award, The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research Award, and the Anne D. Haffajee Fellowship. Currently Dr. Momen-Heravi research is supported by NIH, the AACR, and other foundation grants.
The IADR Young Investigator Award supported by P&G Professional Oral Health, Crest + Oral-B aims to stimulate basic research in all dental research disciplines. It is one of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards and one of the highest honors bestowed by the IADR. The nominee must be within 10 years of completing his/her last terminal degree (PhD, DDS, DMD, MD, etc.) at the time of the submission deadline. The winner is asked to serve a two-year term on the IADR Board of Directors commencing at the conclusion of the General Session where the award was received.
About IADR
The International Association for Dental 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.