The division of periodontology at UConn School of Dental Medicine recently celebrated several resident and faculty achievements in research and professional development.

“I am super proud of the division’s success and national presence,” says Dr. Effie Ioannidou, Professor, Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences at the UConn School of Dental Medicine. “These outcomes are certainly the result of hard work, team support, and peer mentoring! What a great team!”

Dr. Jennifer Duffy, first-year resident, published a paper in Compendium evaluating several new minimally invasive surgical techniques to correct gingival recession—a condition that can cause esthetic issues, root hypersensitivity, and root caries. Currently, traditional corrective techniques are often associated with patient morbidity and discomfort. Duffy and fellow researchers from Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, are hopeful that their findings will help cultivate a more “person-centered” rather than “patient-centered” approach to gingival recession correction to provide optimal results with reduced morbidity.

Dr. Lan-Lin Chiou, assistant professor, was recently selected for the 2023 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Emerging Leaders Program with the 2023 ADEA Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarship for Professional Development. The program gives early-career faculty the opportunity to engage with senior leaders in dental education to develop the skills needed to build a successful career in academic dentistry. The program lasts for one year and culminates with peer group presentations of research findings.

Dr. Namita Khandelwal, assistant professor in-residence, was recently admitted to the prestigious ADEA Leadership Institute to help develop exceptional mid-career faculty and administrators to become future leaders in dental and higher education. The year-long program is known for producing future department chairs, program directors, and deans of dental schools.