U of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry to Host Centennial Oral Biology Legacy Conference

Feb. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry will celebrate 100 years of leadership in Oral Biology/Orthodontics with “A Legacy in Oral Biology” conference Sunday, June 16, through Thursday, June 20, 2013.

Kickoff will be a Sunday afternoon reception, followed by an evening talk about the “Vienna School of Illinois”—a group of European émigrés who lay the foundation for the biological orientation of dental research and praxis in America.  

Monday, June 17, is dedicated to the College’s legacy in functional morphology and craniofacial evolution.  During the mid-1950s, College faculty thought leaders such as Drs. E. Lloyd du Brul, Harry Sicher, and Allan G. Brodie had much interaction with other area universities. This theme of Chicago-wide collaboration in craniofacial evolution and function is celebrated in a new partnership with Drs. Callum Ross, Mike Coates, and Zhe-Xi Luo at the University of Chicago. There also will be presentations by internationally recognized experts Dr. Peter Lucas from Kuwait and Drs. Mark Purnell and Phil Donoghue from England.

Research in today’s Department of Oral Biology focuses on questions of mineralized tissue development, with faculty members Drs. Anne George, Xianghong Luan, and Tom Diekwisch working in this area and continuing a tradition established by Drs. Frederick Bogue Noyes and Isaac Schour. Tuesday, June 18, will focus on the development of the head and on the biology of dental mineralized tissues such as tooth enamel.  New findings in this area will be presented by Drs. Ophir Klein from the University of California at San Francisco, Jim Martin from Baylor University, and Rulang Jiang from the University of Cincinnati. This day of the meeting also will highlight interactions with the Rush University Department of Biochemistry.  

On Wednesday, June 19, there will be a morning session on stem cells and epigenetics, and an afternoon session on tissue regeneration.  Dr. George is a leader in the area of dentin regeneration, and Dr. Diekwisch has recently successfully replanted teeth using stem cell technology.  Wednesday also will feature a number of guest speakers from Northwestern University and cutting-edge scientists such as Drs. Jerry Workman from the Stowers Institute in Kansas City and Dr. Sarah Millar from the University of Pennsylvania.  

Thursday, June 20, will be dedicated to classic studies on tooth movement and TMJ remodeling that go back to the times of legendary Viennese scholars who once taught at UIC.  The afternoon will be a celebration of the years at the College when its scientists established new benchmarks in craniofacial biology, orthodontics, oral surgery, oral pathology, periodontics, and functional anatomy.  The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band will provide a historical frame and entertainment for the presentations.

The meeting will conclude on Thursday night with a presentation by Dr. Carla A. Evans, Head, Department of Orthodontics, entitled “Allan G. Brodie – Dreams for Illinois.”

For more information, call (312) 413-9683.