Martha Somerman

Martha Somerman
Martha J. Somerman
Dr. Martha J. Somerman, Director of NIDCR, NIH and Chief Lab of LOCTB, NIAMS
Born
Martha Somerman

(1947-03-13) 13 March 1947 (age 77)
Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.A.
CitizenshipUnited States
Alma mater
Awards
Scientific career
Institutions

Martha J. Somerman (b. March 13, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York[1]) is an internationally known researcher and educator in medicine, focusing on defining the key regulators controlling development, maintenance, and regeneration of dental, oral, and craniofacial tissues.[2] She was Chief of the Laboratory of Oral Connective Tissue Biology (LOCTB) at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) located in Bethesda, Maryland.[2][3][4] She was the first woman to lead NIDCR. [1] Dr. Somerman retired as the director of NIDCR on December 31, 2019, serving nine years.[5]

Early life and education

Martha J. Somerman was born on March 13, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York. Martha Somerman earned a Bachelor of Arts from New York University, a Master of Science from Hunter College, a Doctor of Dental Surgery from New York University, a Certificate in Periodontology in 1978, and a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Rochester in 1980.[1][6]

Research and career

Somerman's career at the University of Michigan started in 1991. She was Associate Professor and Chair for the Department of Periodontics/Prevention/Geriatrics (PPG) at the Michigan Dental School and Associate Professor for the Department of Pharmacology at the Michigan Medical School until 1995. Afterwards she became Professor and Chair of the PPG Department and Professor for the Department of Pharmacology until 2000.[7] She was then Associate Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Washington, a position she held for two years and became Dean in 2002 holding that position until 2011.[8][9][10] In 2011, she became the first woman to be appointed Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR),[2][11] succeeding acting director Isabel Garcia.[12] Under this position, Somerman established the Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Tissue Regenerative Consortium (DOCTR-C) to advance research on innate biological mechanisms and pathways that facilitate regeneration and repair of damaged or diseased tissues.[4] From 2011 until 2021, she was also the Principal Investigator for the Laboratory of Oral Connective Tissue Biology at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).[4] During her time at the NIAMS, she focused on identifying candidate genes and factors to promote periodontal regeneration.[4]

Somerman has more than 190 peer-review publications with over 8,000 citations and she has contributed to 20 books or book chapters.[10]

Awards and honors

She has received numerous honors and awards throughout her academic career.[13]

  • Dr. Somerman was the President of the American Association for Dental Research from 2001 to 2002.[14]
  • In 2010 she got the IADR/PRG Award in Regenerative Periodontal Medicine.[15][16]
  • In 2011, Harvard University awarded Martha Somerman the AADR's Paul Goldhaber Award, which is presented annually to "an individual who is held in the highest international esteem in his or her field relating to oral and systemic health", acknowledging her work in the field of the regeneration of hard and soft tissues.[17][18]
  • In 2018, she got awarded from the International Association for Dental Research's (IADR) Distinguished Scientist Award for Basic Research in Biological Mineralization.[2][19]
  • Most recently, in 2021, she became the first woman to receive the American Dental Association's Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Dental Research.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Dr. Martha Somerman First Woman to Earn Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Dental Research from the ADA". October 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Martha J. Somerman, DDS, PhD, Director of NIDCR". National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  3. ^ Somerman, Martha. "Martah Somerman ResearchGate". ResearchGate.
  4. ^ a b c d Collins, Francis S. (November 14, 2019). "Statement on the retirement of Dr. Martha Somerman". National Institutes of Heath.
  5. ^ "Statement on the retirement of Dr. Martha Somerman". National Institutes of Health (NIH). November 13, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  6. ^ "2019 IADR/AADR/CADR General Session & Exhibition - Profile - Martha Somerman". iadr2019.zerista.com. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  7. ^ "Martha J. Somerman, D.D.S, Ph.D." NIH Intramural Research Program. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  8. ^ "A conversation with Martha Somerman, Dean of the School of Dentistry". University of Washington. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  9. ^ "Martha J. Somerman". www.iadr.org. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Two Eastman Alumni Win Major Awards". www.urmc.rochester.edu. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  11. ^ "Dentistry Dean Martha Somerman leaving to direct NIH dental branch". UW News. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  12. ^ Garvin, Jennifer (June 2011). "Dr. Martha Somerman Named New NIDCR Director". The Journal of the American Dental Association. 142 (6): 606. doi:10.14219/jada.archive.2011.0235.
  13. ^ Agencies, United States Congress House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related (2012). Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations for 2013: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session. U.S. Government Printing Office.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "AADOCR Presidents". American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research.
  15. ^ "IADR/PRG Award in Regenerative Periodontal Medicine". www.iadr.org. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  16. ^ "American Academy of Periodontology Recognizes Member Achievements | Perio.org". www.perio.org. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  17. ^ Harvard School of Dental Medicine. "Recognition Ceremony 2011". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  18. ^ "Dr. Martha Somerman named to receive Harvard dental schools highest honor". UW News. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  19. ^ "Martha J. Somerman Received the 2018 IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Basic Research in Biological Mineralization". International Association for Dental Research. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  20. ^ "Former NIDCR director wins ADA Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Dental Research". adanews.ada.org. Retrieved May 29, 2024.