Ann Arbor, MI — December 14, 2011 — Dr. Paul Krebsbach, chair of the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and the Roy Roberts Professor of Dentistry, is one of 13 U-M faculty members to be elected a Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  He was one of 539 elected nationwide.

Krebsbach, department chair since 2005, has been with the School of Dentistry since 1996.  Prior to joining U-M, he was with the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research as a senior staff Fellow.  His research focuses on the cell and molecular biology of mineralized tissues with an emphasis on gene therapy-directed osteogenesis and bone marrow stromal cell biology.

A major emphasis in the Krebsbach lab is understanding cellular and molecular determinants of stem cells that allows them to either remain a stem cell or directs them to become specialized cells.  Krebsbach said his lab studies these processes in both human adult stem cells and pluripotent stem cells.  “Accomplishing these goals is an important prerequisite to the development of therapeutic protocols using pluripotent stem cells to regenerate human tissues,” he said.  Krebsbach’s research is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling about $3.6 million.

In 2008, he was named chair of the dean’s Vision Implementation Steering Committee which was charged by Dean Peter Polverini with creating the dental school of the future.  Key elements of the directive included continuing the School’s tradition of excellence while developing innovative approaches to classroom education, clinical training and instruction, research, and outreach.

“Members of AAAS represent an incredibly broad scope of science and science education.  I have enjoyed participating in AAAS sponsored activities, and it’s an honor to be recognized by peers in this scientific association,” Krebsbach said.

Krebsbach and other new Fellows will be recognized for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows Forum to be held Feb. 18, 2012, during the annual meeting of the AAAS in Vancouver, British Columbia.