Alexandria, VA, USA – The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) has announced Linda Slack-Smith as the 2024 IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Geriatric Oral Research. Slack-Smith, from The University of Western Australia, Perth, was recognized during the Opening Ceremonies of the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA.
Slack-Smith is a tenured full Professor in the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Western Australia (UWA) after 20 years in senior roles at the UWA Dental School. She has been an active member of IADR for more than 20 years, serving as President of both the Geriatric and Oral Health Research Groups and the IADR Australia & New Zealand Division. Her international leadership roles have also included serving as Editor in-Chief of Gerodontology.
Much of Slack-Smith’s work has focused on total-population data linkage, but she has also led substantial qualitative research projects. She was a chief investigator on a $2.5 million Centre for Research Excellence in Primary Oral Health Care, leading the Western Australian node (focused on oral health in aged care and Aboriginal oral health). This resulted in a body of published literature around dental care for aged care and a report widely cited by media and organizations such as the Australian Dental Association.
Slack-Smith is the recipient of the Australasian Epidemiological Association Mentoring Award (2019), the IADR Giddon Award for Distinguished Research in the Behavioral Sciences (2018), the NPS Medicinewise Award for Innovation in Pharmacoepidemiology (2012), and the IEA Student Award to attend the International Epidemiological Association Conference in Nagoya, Japan (1996).
The IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Geriatric Oral Research consists of a monetary award and plaque and is generously supported by Haleon. The award is designed to stimulate, encourage, and recognize outstanding research accomplishments in the field of geriatric oral research. This is one of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards and is one of the highest honors bestowed by IADR.
About IADR
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. Learn more at www.iadr.org.