AADR awards the 2012 Jack Hein Public Service Award to Isabel Garcia

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) has announced Isabel Garcia, deputy director, National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), as the recipient of the 2012 AADR Jack Hein Public Service Award. This award will be presented to Garcia at the AADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Tampa, Florida on March 21, 2012.

Dr. Garcia's experience spans 30 years in public health, clinical care, research, and administration at the local, state, and national levels. Since joining the NIDCR in 1995 as a Special Assistant for Science Transfer, she has served as the Institute's liaison to professional organizations, government entities and Congress on oral health research issues. She led the development of two NIDCR Strategic Plans and the Institute's initial plan for eliminating health disparities. Prior to her appointment as NIDCR Deputy Director, she directed the NIDCR Office of Science Policy and Analysis. In this role she served as principal advisor to the Director on science policy, health policy, and legislative matters and managed the Institute's scientific planning, evaluation, coding, and reporting activities. Before joining NIDCR, Dr. Garcia was a health scientist administrator at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality where she managed research on health services and primary care. Prior to her career in the USPHS, she worked in the private sector as a clinician and held local and state health management positions in Virginia and Ohio.

"Dr. Garcia's work at NIDCR has been vital in continuing to elevate oral health research," said AADR President Jeffrey Ebsersole. "Dr. Garcia's dedication to dental and craniofacial research certainly benefits AADR members but more importantly benefits the health of the public. Her work is the embodiment of the Jack Hein Public Service Award."

This award honors individuals who have given exemplary service in the area of public affairs by consistently promoting the interests and activities of oral health research to a wide constituency.

Provided by International & American Associations for Dental Research