Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) announced that Miguel Ángel González Moles is this year’s recipient of the IADR Distinguished Scientist Oral Medicine & Pathology Research Award. González Moles, from the University of Granada, Spain, 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.
González Moles graduated in medicine and stomatology from the University of Granada and holds a Ph.D. in molecular science awarded by the University of Seville, Spain. He now serves as Chair of Oral Medicine at the University of Granada, Spain and heads a molecular biology laboratory in the Granada Campus.
He has made several important discoveries and contributions to basic sciences in oral cancer and management of potentially malignant disorders. He was the first to describe the oncogenic potential of CCND1 gene and its protein cyclin D1 in oral cancer - now a molecular target for experimental therapies. His subsequent work contributed to identifying the potential role of cyclin D1 as a biomarker in risk assessment for oral cancer. He also contributed to the knowledge on CTTN/cortactin, another important oncogene located in 11q13. His original work in describing the proliferative patterns of oral mucosa using a novel combination of immunohistochemical markers (cyclin D1, Ki-67 and E-cadherin) allowed for the mapping of premalignant fields of oral mucosa supporting the hypothesis of field cancerization.
His more recent work has been modelling the concept of cancer stem cells in oral cancer, which has the potential to identify the biopathology of stem cells that contribute to a low response to treatment. González Moles has also contributed to research on the natural history of oral leukoplakia and oral lichen planus and has recently contributed to several meta-analyses on these topics.
One of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards, the Oral Medicine & Pathology Research Award is one of the highest honors bestowed by IADR. The Award recognizes outstanding and sustained peer-reviewed research that has contributed to the understanding of the mechanisms governing the health and disease of the oral cavity and associated structures, principally encompassing skin, bone, and the oral soft tissue.
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.