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Faculty Information

Lorel E. Burns, DDS, MS

Associate Professor
Endodontics
345 E. 24th Street, Suite 4W, New York, NY 10010
E-mail: lorel.burns@nyu.edu
Phone: 212-998-9332
 

Education

  • MS, Clinical Investigation, Concentration in Comparative Effectiveness Research, NYU School of Medicine
  • Certificate, Endodontics, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
  • DDS, NYU College of Dentistry
  • BA, University of Pennsylvania
     

Honors / Credentials

  • Diplomate, American Board of Endodontics
  • Associate, New York University Dentistry Center for Oral Health Policy and Management
  • Oral Health Policy Fellow, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), 2023-2024
  • Member, Omega Chapter, Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Honor Dental Society
  • District II Director, American Association of Endodontists, 2023- 2026
  • American Dental Education Association (ADEA)/ American Association of Endodontists (AAE) Foundation Scholar in the ADEA Leadership Institute, 2023-2024
  • Junior Faculty Award, American Dental Education Association (ADEA)/ ADEA Council of Students, Residents and Fellows/ Colgate- Palmolive Co., 2022
  • Harold Amos Scholar, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2021-2024
  • Making a Difference Award, New York University, 2020
  • Endodontic Educator Fellowship Award, American Association of Endodontists, 2019
  • President’s Service Award, New York University, 2013

Research Interests / Professional Overview

Dr. Burns is a clinician-investigator. Her goal is to save natural teeth and contribute to the achievement of oral health equity through multi-modal interventions:

  • Clinician decision-making research 
  • Dental treatment utilization and outcomes research
  • Oral health workforce research and development
  • Oral health policy evaluation and recommendations. 

Dr. Burns is the Principal Investigator of the ROOTS lab: Research for Oral health Outcomes and Tactics for Sustainable impact.

Dr. Burns’ research and workforce development pathway programs have been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the American Dental Education Association ADEAGies Foundation, and New York University. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Endodontics (JOE), the International Journal of Endodontics (IEJ), the Journal of Dental Education (JDE), the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), and the International Journal of Pediatric Dentistry (IJPD).

Dr. Burns is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Saturday Academy at NYU Dentistry, a pathway program for high school students from historically underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds. Established in 2012, Saturday Academy has the two-fold mission of introducing the dental professions as viable career options; as well as helping participants navigate the college application process. Dr. Burns is the Co-PI and Program Director of NYU Dentistry Research Education in Oral Health Sciences (REOHS) summer program for undergraduate students. She is also the faculty mentor of the NYU Dentistry chapter of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA).

Dr. Burns maintains part-time private practice, limited to endodontics.

Current Funding

  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), 2024-2029: R01 DE033999 Disrupting Implicit Bias in Dental Clinical Decision-Making and Mitigating Its Effect on the Dentist-Scientist Workforce Pathway
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), 2022-2027: R25 DE032528, Research Education in Oral Health Sciences (REOHS) Summer Program

Previous Funding

  • NYU Center for Faculty Advancement, 2022-2023: Teaching Advancement Grant, Reducing Perceived Barriers to Achieving Competency in Clinical Endodontics
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Harold Amos Faculty Development Program 2021-2024: Access to and Utilization of Regenerative Endodontics Procedures and Pulp Therapy in a Pediatric Population
  • American Dental Education Association, ADEAGies Foundation (2020-2022): New York University College of Dentistry, Saturday Academy: Lengthening the Pipeline for Program Alumni
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), 2019-2024: K01 DE028591 Root Canal Therapy in Children: Analysis of Disparities and Value

Representative Publications

Complete listing available on the NYU Health Sciences Library site.