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Dr. Byrd’s research, recognized with this award, demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 directly infects and replicates within the oral cavity, particularly in minor salivary glands and mucosal tissues. His team established a comprehensive single-cell atlas, revealing epithelial susceptibility to viral entry and correlating salivary viral load with clinical symptoms like taste loss. These findings emphasized the oral cavity's role in COVID-19 transmission and salivary antibody responses, paving the way for better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches

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Dr. Kevin Matthew Byrd is an Assistant Professor of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the former Director of Cell & Molecular Biology at ADA Science & Research Institute. As the Founder of the Human Cell Atlas Oral & Craniofacial Bionetwork, he leads global collaborations mapping oral and craniofacial tissues to better understand their systemic implications in health and disease. His research bridges oral biology, spatial biology, and precision medicine to advance treatments for complex diseases like cancer and chronic inflammation.

Career highlights

Dr. Kevin Matthew Byrd co-founded and leads the Human Cell Atlas Oral & Craniofacial Bionetwork, a global initiative uniting over 80 laboratories to map the cellular architecture of oral and craniofacial tissues and their connections to systemic health. This network has transformed the understanding of these tissues, fostering collaboration and innovation across multiple disciplines. His groundbreaking research on SARS-CoV-2, published in Nature Medicine, demonstrated that the virus directly infects oral tissues, including salivary glands, and uncovered the oral cavity's critical role in viral transmission and immune responses during COVID-19. Additionally, through the PROSPECT project, Dr. Byrd is pioneering spatial multiomics to generate pan-cancer insights, integrating data from multiple cancers to identify key immune microenvironments and cellular interactions that inform therapeutic strategies in precision oncology. These career achievements exemplify his commitment to advancing oral biology and systemic health research.

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Dr. Valentine’s research, recognized with this award, showed that dental scaling and root planing is not harmful in pregnancy. In fact, it not only can improve the pregnant individual’s oral health, but it may also prevent long-term neurodevelopmental harm to one’s children, including signs of autism. Pregnant individuals with the most severe forms of periodontal disease benefit the most with treatment in pregnancy. Thus, the oral-systemic health connection in pregnancy is incredibly important, with an impact that has the potential to span generations. It is important that obstetricians and healthcare providers caring for pregnant individuals screen pregnant individuals early in pregnancy for oral health to maximize potential health benefits to the pregnant individual and their children.

More About Dr. Valentine

Gregory Valentine is a neonatologist at the University of Washington who focuses on the interplay of oral health and the relationship with systemic health in pregnancy. Specifically, Dr. Valentine seeks to evaluate innovative methods to improve oral health and/or prevent oral disease in pregnancy and the relationship with adverse pregnancy and newborn outcomes. His research portfolio encompasses evaluating xylitol-containing chewing gum, dental scaling and root planing, and other methodologies to improve oral health in pregnancy.

Career highlights

Dr. Valentine and his colleagues recently found that chewing xylitol-containing chewing gum in pregnancy reduced the risk of preterm birth in Malawi while concurrently improving findings of gingival inflammation such as bleeding on probing. These findings build upon Dr. Steven Offenbacher’s seminal work exploring treatment of periodontal disease in pregnancy on preventing harm to the pregnant individual and their offspring. A simple intervention such as xylitol containing chewing gum may prevent preterm birth and may improve the long-term health and well-being of children. If confirmed, this will have significant global health implications in obstetric-related care worldwide.

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To our knowledge, this is the first study examining the longitudinal association of the co-occurrence of diabetes and edentulism with cognitive decline. Using data on a nationally representative cohort of 9,948 older adults, the study found that the effects of the co-occurrence of diabetes and edentulism or one of these conditions alone on cognitive decline varied across different age groups: for adults aged 65 to 74 y, co-occurring diabetes and edentulism was associated with worse cognitive function and an accelerated rate of cognitive decline compared with those with neither condition. In addition, edentulism is associated with diminished cognitive function for this group of 65 to 74 y and faster cognitive decline in both the group of 65 to 74 y and the group of 75 to 84 y. Yet, diabetes alone contributed to a faster cognitive decline only in the group 65 to 74 y.

In summary, the study demonstrated that the co-occurrence of diabetes and edentulism can lead to worse cognitive function and accelerated cognitive decline for older adults aged 65 to 74 y. The findings have important policy and clinical implications for preventing cognitive decline among older adults, especially those with diabetes and poor oral health. For individuals with both poor oral health and diabetes, regular dental visits should be encouraged in addition to adherence to the diabetes self-care protocol. Regular cognitive screening may be needed in the primary care setting for older adults with poor oral health and diabetes. Furthermore, the link between oral health and cognition should be emphasized during routine cleanings; dental care and programs are needed to reduce the societal cost of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

More About Dr. Wu

Dr. Wu is an internationally known leader in gerontology. Her career in gerontology has been distinguished by interdisciplinary collaborations with researchers in various disciplines, including nursing and dentistry, at many academic institutions and organizations in the United States and abroad. Her extensive publications (425 peer-reviewed manuscripts) cover a wide range of areas in aging and health, with a particular focus on dementia caregiving, geriatric oral health, and risk factors associated with cognitive impairment.

She currently leads several NIH-funded projects, including a clinical trial aimed at improving oral health in individuals with cognitive impairment and a study investigating the links between oral health and dementia subtypes, with a focus on biological pathways and social determinants of health. Additionally, Dr. Wu co-leads the NIH/NIMHD-funded Rutgers-NYU Center for Asian Health Promotion and Equity, where she oversees an intervention study to enhance health outcomes for Chinese and Korean dementia caregivers. She also serves as a Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) for the NIA-funded Asian Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) and the Resource Center for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research in Asian and Pacific Americans (RCASIA).

Career highlights

In 2017, Dr. Wu received the distinguished scientist award for geriatric oral research from the International Association for Dental Research. For the past two decades, Dr. Wu has mentored hundreds of early-stage faculty members, postdoc fellows, visiting scholars, and undergraduate and graduate students from various disciplines globally. Dr. Wu is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the New York Academy of Medicine. Additionally, she is an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is the recipient of the 2023 Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Contributions to Healthy Aging from the Gerontological Society of America, and the 2024 Public Service Award from the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research.