Penn Dental Medicine Faculty Research Recognized by IADR
Philadelphia – Two Penn Dental Medicine faculty members have been recognized for their research by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) — Dr. Chenshuang Li, Associate Professor of Orthodontics, with the 2026 IADR Young Investigator Award and Dr. Zhi Ren, Assistant Professor in the Department of Endodontics and the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD), with the 2026 IADR Joseph Lister Award. Both awards were presented at the IADR/AADOCR/CADR General Session that took place in San Diego, March 25 -28, 2026.
The IADR Young Investigator Award is presented in recognition of significant contributions to the field of oral health research and is one of the 17 IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards presented annually.
Supported by P&G Professional Oral Health, Crest + Oral-B, the award is designed to stimulate basic research in all dental research disciplines among recipients who must be within 10 years of their last terminal degree.
A primary focus of Dr. Li’s research is on the functional investigation of molecules involved in tissue development and regeneration. Among her work are investigations related to cleft lip and palate (CLP) and the extensive scarring that is a common complication that can affect the growth and development of the jaw. She is working to develop a suitable animal model that replicates the craniofacial growth and development pattern observed in patients, with a special focus placed on extensive scarring after early cleft lip revision. “Such a model could help advance orthodontic and jaw treatment strategies, as well as tissue engineering options for CLP patients,” says Li.
As the recipient of the 2026 IADR Young Investigator Award, Dr. Li will also serve a two-year term on the IADR Board of Directors.
The IADR Joseph Lister Award is among the most competitive honors for new investigators in oral health research. It recognizes original, high-impact research in oral disease prevention or oral health promotion. The selection process is highly rigorous — only 10 finalists are chosen worldwide based on abstract originality and potential public health impact, followed by an in-person formal oral presentation at the IADR meeting.
The awarded research by Dr. Ren investigated how bacteria move within the oral cavity. Researchers at Penn Dental Medicine led by Dr. Ren identified a new way that bacteria move through the complex environments of the mouth. The study focused on Selenomonas sputigena, an oral bacterium associated with severe childhood tooth decay, periodontal disease, and root canal infection. Using advanced imaging, computational analysis, and physical modeling, the team found that this organism uses a previously undescribed mode of motility to move through both open fluids and confined spaces found in the mouth. “This finding suggests that S. sputigena is a bacterial “super-swimmer,” able to navigate a wide range of oral environments,” says Dr. Ren. “It may act as a “niche traveller” across major oral sites, and possibly as a “body traveller,” as it has also been detected in distant body sites including the airways, gut, and circulation. The findings highlight bacterial movement as an overlooked factor in oral disease and open new directions for studying and preventing oral diseases.”
The work recognized by this award was carried out during Dr. Ren’s postdoctoral training at the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD) at Penn Dental Medicine, under the mentorship of Dr. Kathleen J. Stebe and Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo, Co-Founders and Co-Directors of CiPD.
This research was supported by NIH K99 (1K99DE033428) and T90/R90 (R90DE031532) awards.