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Dr. Mian Iqbal Remembered

October 16, 2009

With great respect and fondness, Penn Dental Medicine remembers Dr. Mian Iqbal, Assistant Professor of Endodontics-Clinician Educator -- a devoted educator and skilled clinician and researcher. Dr. Iqbal and his wife, Maliha Iqbal, were both killed September 10, 2009 in a tragic auto accident in Pakistan, while there to attend the funeral of his mother.

Dr. Iqbal, 55, had been with the Department of Endodontics since 2000, overseeing the postdoctoral residency program as the Director of Postgraduate Endodontics. Since 2007, he also held the position of Director of the Division of Advanced Dental Education, which encompasses the School's nine postdoctoral programs. "We called him a gentle giant. He was a dedicated teacher, loyal colleague, and a warm and kind human being," says Dr. Syngcuk Kim, Chair of the Department of Endodontics.

Prior to joining Penn Dental Medicine, he served as Assistant Professor at the College of Dentistry at King Saud University in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia (1987 – 99); Assistant Professor of Endodontics in Meharry Dental College in Nashville, Tenn. (1984 – 86); and Instructor in Dentistry at Khyber Dental College at the University of Peshawar in Pakistan (1979 – 82). Dr. Iqbal held a BDS from the University of Peshawar (1977), an MS from the University of Minnesota (1984), and a DMD from Penn Dental Medicine (2003).

A well-published researcher and respected lecturer, Dr. Iqbal was the Vice Chair of the Evidence-based Committee of the American Association of Endodontists and served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Endodontics, the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, the Journal of Implant and Advanced Clinical Dentistry, the Indian Journal of Medical and Dental Sciences, and the US Civilian Research and Developmental Foundation.

"He was one of the rising stars in the national and international endodontic arena," says Morton Amsterdam Dean Denis Kinane. "We have lost a valuable and highly respected member of our community; he will be greatly missed."

Dr. and Mrs. Iqbal are survived by their son, Taimur Iqbal. The School's Department of Endodontics is holding a memorial to celebrate Dr. Iqbal's life and contributions to Penn Dental Medicine on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the atrium and Fonseca Gardens in the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 240 S. 40th Street in Philadelphia, Pa., and is establishing a memorial fund in his memory. Contributions to the fund can be made through the Department of Endodontics; for more information on it, please contact 215-898-4927 or syngcuk@pobox.upenn.edu.

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