Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) has announced Yu Zhang as the 2025 recipient of the IADR Distinguished Scientist Wilmer Souder Award. Zhang, from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, was recognized during the Opening Ceremonies of the 103rd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the IADR/Pan European Regional Congress on June 25-28, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
Zhang received his B.S. in Physics from Shanghai Normal University and his M.S. in Physics from La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Zhang completed his first Research Fellowship in Materials Science and Engineering at Monash University, and his second working on a joint project with the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the American Dental Association Foundation.
Prior to joining Penn Dental Medicine, Zhang was on the faculty at NYU in the Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics. He is a distinguished scientist in the research area of dental ceramics and one of the top ceramic engineers in the world working on dental biomaterials. He has over 170 peer-reviewed publications and is a regular speaker at national and international meetings. He is a recipient of the Peyton-Skinner Award from the IADR Dental Materials Group, among many other awards.
The IADR Wilmer Souder Award recognizes excellence in the field of dental materials research among those scientists who, through research in this field, bring about outstanding advances in dental health. Established and supported by an endowment provided by the IADR Dental Materials Group, the award is one of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards and one of the highest honors bestowed by the IADR.
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. Learn more www.iadr.org.
