Global Health Nexus, Spring 2000

Celebrating Our Community

Congratulations to

Dr. Michael C. Alfano, dean of NYU Dentistry, on his appointment as a member of the American Dental Association's "Future of Dentistry" Committee and New York State's Medical Advisory Committee. Dean Alfano also was quoted recently in "High Tech Procedures Woo Dental Patients" in Crain's New York Business.
Tamu Al-Islam, director of human resources and administrative services, on joining NYU Dentistry last fall. Prior to joining NYU Dentistry, Tamu was director of human resources for the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Dr. A. Norman Cranin, Class of 1951, clinical professor of surgical sciences, on being named editor of theJournal of Oral Implantology.
Dr. A. Norman Cranin, Class of 1951, clinical professor of surgical sciences, on being named editor of theJouurnal of Oral Implantology.
Dr. Luis J. Fukimoto, clinical assistant professor of surgical sciences (periodontics), on receiving the 1999 American Dental Association New Dentistry Leadership Award. The award recognizes an ADA member dentist less than 10 years out of dental school who has demonstrated outstanding leadership initiative.
Dr. Neal Herman, Class of 1972, clinical professor of growth and developmental sciences (pediatric dentistry), on being featured as a dental expert on USA Radio, Bloomberg News Radio, WPIX-TV, CNN, NBC, and TNN in recent months.
Dr. Heiner Hoffman, professor emeritus of microbiology, on being included in the forthcoming new editions of Outstanding People of the 20th Century, 2000 Outstanding Scientists of the 20th Century, 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 20th Century, and the Dictionary of International Biography. Dr. Hoffman is also cited in the current edition of American Men and Women of Science.
Dr. Laurance E. Jerrold, Class of 1975, on his appointment as acting director of the Advanced Education Program in Orthodontics.
Dr. Irwin Kaplan, clinical professor of CCAPA and of restorative and prosthodontic sciences, on his promotion to clinical professor and on receiving the Student Council Appreciation Award.
Dr. Ralph Kaslick, clinical professor of surgical sciences (periodontics), on his induction into the National Academies of Practice as a distinguished practitioner.
Dr. Lidia Kiremidjian-Schumacher, professor of basic sciences (histology and cell biology), on being selected for inclusion in the sixth edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers 2000. Dr. Kiremidjian-Schumacher was nominated by a grateful former student, Dr. Gennady Ukrainsky, who wrote that "she had made a difference in his life."
Dr. Todd H. Lerner, Class of 1988, clinical associate professor of restorative and prosthodontic sciences, on becoming a diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, a fellow of the American College of Prosthodontics, and a fellow of the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics.
Dr. Harald A. B. Linke, on being awarded the title professor emeritus of basic sciences (microbiology). Congratulations also to Dr. Linke on coauthoring "Clearance and Metabolism of Starch Foods in the Oral Cavity" for Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism.
Dr. Stanley Markovits, Class of 1954, clinical professor of CCAPA, on his induction as a Thaddeus V. Weclew Honorary Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Richard Menon, director of patient accounting, on being featured on WABC-TV's Good Morning America and Eyewitness News programs, speaking about radio-controlled models. Richard is building a museum in India devoted to radio-controlled model airplanes, boats, cars, ships, and trains.
Dr. Denise Murphy, clinical associate professor of CCAPA and infection control coordinator, on receiving the Occupational Health Nurse of the Year Award presented by the New York State Association of Occupational Nurses.
Dr. Andrew I. Spielman, associate professor of basic sciences (oral medicine and pathology), on his appointment as head of the Division of Basic Sciences. Dr. Spielman was previously acting head of the division. Added congratulations to Dr. Spielman on his installation as president of the American Association of Oral Biologists.
Dr. Dennis P. Tarnow, Class of 1972, professor and chairman of the Ashman Department of Implant Dentistry, on being appointed to the Board of Senior Editors of World Dentistry.

On the Publishing Front

Dr. Denise Estafan, assistant professor of restorative and prosthodontic sciences, on coauthoring "Adjunctive Diagnostic Methods for Monitoring Progressive Periodontal Diseases" for General Dentistry. Dr. Estafan's coauthors include Dr. Mea Weinberg, clinical associate professor of surgical sciences (periodontics).
Dr. Racquel Z. LeGeros, Linkow Professor of Implant Dentistry and director of the Minority Oral Health Research Center, on authoring "Calcium Phosphates in Demineralization/ Remineralization Processes" for the Journal of Clinical Dentistry and "Zinc Effect on the in vitro Formation of Calcium Phosphates: Relevance to Clinical Inhibition of Calculus Formation" for the American Journal of Dentistry. Dr. LeGeros also traveled to Japan recently as a visiting professor (see photo at right).
Dr. Leonard I. Linkow, Class of 1952, clinical professor of implant dentistry, on coauthoring "Ramus Hinges for Excessive Movements of the Condyles: A New Dimension in Mandibular Tripodal Subperiosteal Implants" for the Journal of Oral Implantology.
Dr. François Morlot, clinical assistant professor of restorative and prosthodontic sciences, on coauthoring "The Monobloc Technique" for Alternatives/Quintessence International.
Dr. Andrew I. Spielman, associate professor of basic sciences (oral medicine and pathology) and head of the Division of Basic Sciences, on his recent publications, which include "Kinetic differences in the phospholamban regulated calcium pump when studied in crude and purified cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles" for the Journal of Membrane Biology; "Actions of 6-Gingerol on the calcium pump in phosphorylated and unphosphorylated light canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles" for the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy; "Ceramide triggers intracellular calcium release via the inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor in Xenopus laevis oocytes" for the American Journal of Physiology; and "Gy13, a novel G protein subunit expressed in gustducin-positive taste receptor cells, mediates IP3 responses to bitter denatonium" for Nature. Recent lectures include "Introduction to Biomedical Research" and "Taste Mechanisms and Taste Disorders" at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand.

On the Lecture Circuit

Jill B. Fernandez-Wilson, clinical associate professor of growth and developmental sciences (pediatric dentistry), and her colleagues in the Division of Growth and Developmental Sciences (pediatric dentistry), Dr. Neal G. Herman, Class of 1972, Dr. Esther K. Colchamiro, and Dr. Linda R. Rosenberg, Class of 1975, on copresenting the paper "Partners in Prevention: Training Non-Dental Health Professionals in Infant Oral Health Issues" at the annual meeting of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. Added kudos to the pediatric dentistry team on being awarded a special achievement plaque recognizing the program by the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry.
Dr. Donald B. Giddon, clinical professor of behavioral sciences in the Division of CCAPA, on presenting the lectures "Stress and Dental Disease," "Psychophysiological and Psychopharmacological Aspects of Pain and Anxiety Control," and "Psychosocial Aspects of Dentofacial Esthetics" at the Manila Central University College of Dentistry in Manila, Philippines.
Dr. Gail E. Schupak, clinical assistant professor of growth and developmental sciences (orthodontics), on presenting the lecture "Correcting Crossbites" to the Queens County Dental Society. Dr. Schupak also currently serves as president of the New York Chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists and of the NYU Alumni Chapter of Alpha Omega.
Sabitha B. Sundaresh, Class of 2000, on presenting the research paper "Comparative Efficacy of Different Tooth Pastes on Inhibiting Calcium Phosphates in vitro" at the 1999 IADR-AADE Meeting held in Vancouver, Canada. Work on the paper was supported in part by Procter and Gamble.
Vera W. L. Tang, Class of 2000, on presenting the lecture "Grassroots Lobbying Strategies" at the 29th American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Annual Session.
Dr. Martin Weiselberg, clinical professor of surgical sciences (endodontics), on presenting the lecture "One Visit Endodontics" to the Spanish American Dental Society.