Kantarci named Chair of the Department of Developmental and Surgical Sciences

Alpdogan Kantarci, DDS, PhD, CAGS, is the new Chair of the Department of Developmental and Surgical Sciences, effective Monday, January 6, 2025.
Kantarci holds a DDS and PhD and is a board-certified specialist in Periodontology and a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. His most recent position was as Professor at the ADA Forsyth Institute in Cambridge, MA as the clinical director and active periodontist and implantologist. Kantarci has mentored more than 60 theses and directed and taught in several graduate and postgraduate clinical and didactic dentistry courses. He previously held positions as an Associate Professor at Harvard University School of Dental Medicine and Adjunct Professor at Boston University’s Henry Goldman School of Dental Medicine.
He serves on the editorial board of more than 20 dental and medical scientific journals; his research interests include Molecular Mechanisms and Resolution Pathways of Oral Inflammation in Periodontitis and the Link to Systemic Diseases, Experimental Models, Clinical Applications of High-Throughput Analysis in Dental Research, and Biology of Tooth Movement. He holds several patents and has published more than 220 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, written book chapters, and given more than 500 oral presentations.
In his role as Department Chair of Developmental & Surgical Sciences, Kantarci will be responsible for leading the divisions of Hospital & Special Care Dentistry, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, and Periodontology in the tripartite mission of research, education and service. Kantarci is also the holder of the Erwin M. Schaffer Periodontal Research Chair, which allows him to pursue advancements in periodontal research.
Dr. Kantarci assumes this position from Dr. Brent Larson, who has served as Interim Department Chair of Developmental & Surgical Sciences since 2022. Dean Mays noted that, “Dr. Larson has ably and skillfully led this department while maintaining his role as Director of the Division of Orthodontics, among other administrative roles.”