April 2, 1999
Three UW School of Dentistry professors receive international awards
Three professors from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle were recipients of awards at the opening of the 77th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) held in Vancouver, B.C., on March 10.
The 1999 Research in Oral Biology Award was presented to Dr. Beverly Dale-Crunk for outstanding research on the cells that form the skin surface on the body and the inner surface of the mouth. She is particularly known for her discovery and characterization of a unique protein that helps make the skin’s outer surface tough and protective. Dale-Crunk and her colleagues have developed systems for growing oral cells in culture and for examining their maturation. Dale-Crunk is director of the Research Center in Oral Biology, director of the Dentist Scientist Program, and professor of oral biology and periodontics. She earned her bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan and joined the UW
in 1972.
The 1999 Craniofacial Biology Research Award was given to Dr. Susan W. Herring, professor of orthodontics and zoology, who is known for her work in morphology, particularly muscle-bone interactions. Many of her methods and concepts derive originally from vertebrate paleontology. Her most recent work has brought the concepts, databases and techniques of allied fields to craniofacial investigation. Herring received her Ph.D. in anatomy at the University of Chicago.
The recipient of the 1999 Behavioral Sciences & Health Services Research Award was Dr. Peter Milgrom, professor and director of the Dental Fears Research Clinic. He is best known for creating the first clinic in the world for patients with dental fears and is recognized as an international authority in the field. He has served as principal investigator on numerous grants to investigate the epidemiology and treatment of dental fear in adults and children. Milgrom is currently studying the efficacy of combining benzodiazepine tranquilizers with a behavioral treatment for the clinic’s patients. He received his dental degree from the University of California-San Francisco in 1972. He has been a member of the UW faculty since 1974. Milgrom also received the 1999 Giddon Award for the best research paper in his field, on increasing access to dental care for children from low-income families.
