Jack L. Ferracane, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry and director of the Division of Biomaterials and Biomechanics at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry, has been chosen to become the founding editor in chief of the American Dental Association’s (ADA’s) new open access journal.
The new peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal will publish research findings spanning basic and clinical sciences and will provide a forum for researchers in a range of disciplines: biology, chemistry, engineering and computer science, as well as epidemiology and public health, for example. It will convey advances in basic science directly to experts in clinical dentistry and medicine, with the aim of applying new and emerging scientific ideas, tools and techniques to research questions relevant to oral health. Dr. Ferracane was chosen in part for his commitment to bringing the relevance of basic discovery to the practicing dentist.
“I have spent my entire career teaching and learning from dental students and practicing oral health care providers. I have received a few honors, but in truth, the ones that I have most cherished have been those bestowed by clinical groups or associations,” Dr. Ferracane said. “I will gear my efforts as editor to showcasing scientific discoveries that are important and useful to the practicing dentist.”
“The ADA is thrilled to be launching this new platform, which will focus on all areas of basic research that inform oral health,” said Kathleen O’Loughlin, D.M.D., M.P.H., executive director of the ADA. “We are honored to introduce Dr. Ferracane as the founding editor of our new open-access science journal and are excited to see how his vast expertise and knowledge will help the publication come to life.”
An ADA search committee launched a national effort to find an individual with a reputation as an outstanding research scientist in oral health, an educator and an editor. Dr. Ferracane was chosen from among a field of exceptional leaders in oral health research, not only for his distinguished research and academic achievements, but also for his determination to create a community of researchers, scholars and clinicians with a shared goal of accelerating the pace of discovery in oral health.
Dr. Ferracane is an honorary professor at the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry and is adjunct professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Oregon Health & Science University.
Dr. Ferracane has held national office, first as vice president and then as president of the American Association for Dental Research. He is an elected fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, and a recipient of the Wilmer Souder Award from the Dental Materials Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), which is the oldest of the IADR’s Distinguished Scientist Awards. He was elected an honorary member of the American College of Dentists and the Oregon Dental Association and received the Hollenback Prize from the Academy of Operative Dentistry.
Dr. Ferracane, a prolific author of scientific papers, sits on numerous editorial boards, and currently serves on the editorial board of Operative Dentistry, and as an associate editor of the Journal of Dental Research and for Odontology.
Dr. Ferracane received a B.S. degree in biological sciences from the University of Illinois and both a M.S. and Ph.D. in biological materials from Northwestern University.
