Prof. Bei Wu receives Distinguished Scientist Award for Research in Geriatric Oral Health

Dr. Bei Wu was awarded the 2017 Distinguished Scientist Award for Geriatric Oral Research by International Association for Dental Research.

Dr. Bei Wu, PhD, of New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing (NYU Meyers), was honored as the recipient of the 2017 International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Distinguished Scientist Award for Geriatric Oral Research at IADR’s annual conference in San Francisco, March 22-25, 2017. This award is designed to stimulate, encourage, and recognize outstanding research accomplishments in the field of geriatric oral research.

The recipient must have conducted original and important investigations in any of the basic, clinical, or epidemiological sciences (including health services research and behavioral science) associated with geriatric oral research.

Dr. Wu and her team has published a significant number of papers on the topics related to oral health disparities in older adults, trends and trajectories of oral health, and oral health in relationship to cognitive impairment and diabetes.  One of her recent studies titled “Association Between Oral Health and Cognitive Status: A Systematic Review,” published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, looked to systematically review longitudinal studies examining the association between oral health and cognitive decline.

The review found inconsistencies between the findings of studies that found that oral health measures--such as number of teeth and periodontal disease--were associated with the risk of cognitive decline or incident dementia. Similarly, cognitive decline was not consistently associated with greater loss of teeth or number of decayed teeth.

“It is unclear how or whether oral health and cognitive status are related,” notes Dr. Wu.  “Additional research is needed in which there is greater agreement on how oral health and cognitive states are assessed to better examine the linkages between these two health outcomes.”

Supported by GlaxoSmithKline, the IDAR award is based upon the recipient's contributions to the scientific community, the impact of the research, publications in refereed journals, and other scholarly activities. There are no age restrictions. This award, consisting of a monetary prize and a plaque, presented annually, provided a worthy recipient is nominated.

About IADR

The International Association for Dental Research (IADR), headquartered in Alexandria, Va.  USA, is a nonprofit organization with nearly 11,000 members worldwide.  Its mission is : (1) to advance research and increase knowledge for the improvement of oral health worldwide; (2) to support and represent the oral health research community; and (3) to facilitate the communication and application of research findings. 

About NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing

NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice. It offers a Bachelor of Science with a major in Nursing, a Master of Science and Post-Master’s Certificate Programs, a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a Doctor of Philosophy in nursing research and theory development.