School of Dentistry announced that Dr. Martha Somerman has been named to the newly-created position of associate dean for research effective Jan. 1, 2001. Prior to her appointment, Somerman was chair of the School’s Department of Periodontics, Prevention, and Geriatrics for 10 years.

Somerman, whose expertise is in the field of regeneration of mineralized tissue research, is currently the William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor of Dentistry. She is also a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Medical School, has an active faculty practice limited to periodontics, and is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Periodontology. At the University level, she is a member of the Office of Vice President for Research Advisory Council.   Somerman  

“As associate dean for research, Dr. Somerman’s responsibilities will be broad-based,” Kotowicz said. “She will work with departmental chairs at the School of Dentistry to monitor national research trends at both the basic and clinical levels, plan short- and long-range research program expansion, and investigate potential partnerships for technology transfer.” Kotowicz added that Somerman’s strong credentials would also play an important role in shaping the School of Dentistry’s involvement in the Life Sciences Initiative.

Kotowicz noted that research is one of the major missions of the School. During fiscal year 2000, the School of Dentistry received $13.9 million in research awards, up from $10.4 million the previous fiscal year.

Before coming to the U-M School of Dentistry, Somerman was on the faculty at Baltimore College of Dental Surgery at the University of Maryland. She earned her D.D.S from the New York University College of Dentistry; a Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Rochester Medical Center and Dental School; and her specialty training in periodontology at Eastman Dental School in Rochester, N.Y.

Somerman received four years of postdoctoral training at the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) as a staff fellow, first in the Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Anomalies, and then in the Clinical Investigations and Patient Care branch. She has served on several National Institutes of Health study sections, has been a reviewer for the NIDCR, and currently serves as a council member for NIDCR.

A current grantee of the Institute, her major research focuses on periodontal regeneration with emphasis on determining the mechanisms, factors, and cells required to restore periodontal tissues using in vitro and in vivo models.

Somerman, now president-elect of the American Association for Dental Research, becomes that organization’s president in 2001; is a member of the Committee on Research, Science, and Therapy for the American Academy of Periodontology, and serves on editorial boards for several journals including the Journal of Dental Research and the Journal of Periodontology.

The U-M School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction train future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. More information is available on the Web at http://www.dent.umich.edu.

School of DentistryDepartment of PharmacologyLife Sciences InitiativeNational Institute for Dental and Craniofacial ResearchAmerican Association for Dental Researchhttp://www.dent.umich.edu