Ann Arbor, MI — February 14, 2012 — Dr. William Giannobile has been named chair of the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.  His appointment, effective March 1, was announced by Dean Peter Polverini.

Giannobile, the William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor of Dentistry, has been director of the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research since 2003 and is also a professor of biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering.  He earned his DDS and a master’s degree in oral biology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1991and a certificate in periodontology and Doctor of Medical Science from Harvard in 1996.  He has been at the U-M School of Dentistry since 1998.

An internationally recognized expert in using novel methods to stimulate periodontal tissue repair, Giannobile has been acknowledged for his work.  Last summer, he was the first recipient of the Jan Lindhe Research Award for his outstanding achievements in periodontics.  In 2010, Giannobile received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Academy of Periodontology.

Since April 2010, he has been editor-in-chief of the Journal of Dental Research, a monthly scientific journal of the International Association for Dental Research, an organization with nearly 11,000 members worldwide.

“Dr. Giannobile brings a wealth of experience to this position and is ideally suited to lead and further expand the department’s unique strengths in research, education, and clinical care,” Polverini noted in his announcement. 

The department of more than 180 faculty, staff, and graduate students has been chaired by Dr. Laurie McCauley since March 2002.