Dr. Flavia Teles Receives IADR Periodontal Research Group Award
Philadelphia – Dr. Flavia Teles, Professor in the Department of Basic & Translational Sciences at Penn Dental Medicine and a core member of the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD), has been recognized for her research as the 2025 recipient of 2025 IADR/IAP Ricardo Teles Clinical Research Award. Presented annually by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Periodontal Research Group the award recognizes investigators who have made innovative and significant contributions in onset, progression, and treatment of periodontal diseases.
Dr. Teles leads a world-class research program focused on the oral microbiome, particularly the discovery and characterization of previously uncultivated periodontal pathogens. Utilizing cutting-edge cultivation and molecular techniques, her lab aims to identify hidden members of oral biofilms. The study of these new bacterial species may lead to the discovery of new compounds and metabolic pathways, which can foster the development of better strategies for prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases as well as other oral conditions.
Dr. Teles program also explores salivary markers of periodontitis progression and response to treatment, aiming to enable personalized, at-home monitoring gum diseases. Through the CiPD’s AI in Oral Health Innovation Award, she is also working on a project that will harness AI-based approaches to integrate and analyze genetic, immunological, and clinical data along with demographic information to build models that predict the likely course of periodontitis in an individual. With such predictive models, patients could be evaluated at a community center or general dentistry practice and avoid unnecessary specialist visits, Teles explains — or, if needed, obtain specialty care more quickly.
“I am truly honored to have received this award,” says Dr. Teles. “First, because it was established (in 2018 with the first awardee in 2019) in recognition of the contributions of my late husband and longtime collaborator, Ricardo Teles, to clinical periodontal research. Second, because it selected a paper from a study in which Ricardo and I worked together for years, that Ricardo led with such passion and dedication, but did not have a chance to see fully come to fruition. Third, because our daughter was there to witness this special moment.”
Dr. Teles’s multidisciplinary program is redefining oral health through the convergence of microbiology, immunology, informatics, and clinical innovation—promising earlier detection, personalized treatment, and improved outcomes for patients worldwide.