Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) announced that Habib Benzian is this year’s recipient of the IADR Distinguished Scientist John Greenspan Global Oral Health Research Award. Benzian, from New York University, 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.
Benzian is a Research Professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion at the College of
Dentistry, New York University, USA, where he co-directs a World Health Organization Collaborating Center (WHOCC) for Quality Improvement and Evidence-based Dentistry, focusing on global health, policy, and advocacy. In 2002, Benzian was appointed Director for Public Health and Development at the FDI World Dental Federation in Geneva, a function entirely new for the organization at that time. During his eight years of working with the FDI, he was instrumental in re-positioning the FDI as a global health stakeholder in Geneva’s landscape of international organizations.
His ability to translate science into policy and actionable interventions was instrumental in designing NCD action plans, oral health and school health workforce planning, and national standards for WASH in Schools. He also helped advance the global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools agenda by co-developing the Three Star Approach for WASH in Schools, together with UNICEF and the German Development Cooperation, GIZ. He was also part of the United Nation’s invited expert group to define indicators for WASH-related Sustainable Development Goals.
Benzian is senior adviser to the WHO Global Oral Health Program and collaborates in several areas on global and regional levels. He is an invited expert member of the WHO/UNESCO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 and Education, a member of the Technical Expert Group developing Global Standards for Health Promotion in Schools, and a member of the WHO informal working group on health promotion. He is also a member of the oral health research group of the Global Burden of Disease project.
The IADR John Greenspan Global Oral Health Research Award is supported by Haleon. One of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards, it is one of the highest honors bestowed by IADR. The IADR John Greenspan Global Oral Health Research Award honors IADR and AADOCR Past President John Greenspan, who recently passed away and was the founding President of the IADR Global Oral Health Inequalities Research Network and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health’s Global Oral Health Interest Group. The award consists of a monetary award and a plaque and recognizes research that addresses inequalities in global oral health.
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.