AADR awards the 2010 Distinguished Mentoring Award to Irwin D. Mandel

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) has announced Irwin D. Mandel, AADR past president and Professor Emeritus, Columbia University, New York, as the recipient of the inaugural 2010 AADR Distinguished Mentoring Award. This award will announced at the 39th AADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Washington, DC, March 3, 2010.

Mandel began his career as a research assistant in 1946, and gave up his part-time private practice in 1968 to devote himself full-time to research and teaching. He founded the Division of Preventive Dentistry at the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, at Columbia University. He also founded and directed the Center for Clinical Research in Dentistry and served as the Dental School's associate dean for research before attaining emeritus status in 1992.

Former students and mentees of Mandel include Lawrence Tabak, director of the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), Bethesda, Maryland; Daniel Fine, chairman and director, Oral Biology Department, Dental Research Center, University of Medicine & Dentistry, New Jersey; and Bruce Baum, chief, Gene Transfer Section, NIDCR. All were enthusiastic supporters of Mandel receiving this first-ever AADR Distinguished Mentoring Award.

"AADR is proud to recognize Dr. Mandel for his outstanding and long-term mentoring of dental research students and professionals," said AADR President Grayson "Bill" Marshall. "Through his experience, Dr. Mandel has set a high standard for excellence in mentoring, which helps launch this new AADR award off to a superb beginning."

This new award was established to provide national recognition for outstanding efforts to foster and promote research training and career development of students, trainees and junior faculty. It is intended to identify individuals at all levels of their career with an exemplary record of mentoring.

Provided by International & American Association for Dental Research