Martha J. Somerman (*March 13, 1947 in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, NY, USA
) is an internationally known researcher and educator in Medicine, focusing on defining the key regulators controlling development, maintenance, and regeneration of dental, oral, and craniofacial tissues.
She is currently (updated Nov 06, 2019) Chief Lab of Laboratory of Oral Connective Tissue Biology (LOCTB) at NIH's
(NIAMS) and Director of the
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), a part of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) located in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Early life and education
Martha J. Somerman was born on March 13, 1947, in Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.A. Martha Somerman gained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
, Master of Science (MS) from
Hunter College, Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
, and a PhD from the
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...
.
Research and Career
Her career at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
started in 1991. She was Associate Professor and Chair for the Department of Periodontics/Prevention/Geriatrics (PPG) at the
Michigan Dental School and Associate Professor for the Department of Pharmacology at the
Michigan Medical School until 1995. Afterwards she became Professor and Chair of the PPG Department and Professor for the Department of Pharmacology until 2000.
She was then Associate Dean of the School of Dentistry at the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...
, a position she held for two years and became Dean in 2002.
In 2011, she was appointed the director of the
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is a branch of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The institute aims to improve the oral, dental, and craniofacial health through research and the distribution of important he ...
(NIDCR).
She succeeded acting director
Isabel Garcia.
Somerman has more than 190 peer-review publications with over 8,000 citations and she has contributed to 20 books or book chapters.
Awards and honors
She has received numerous honors and awards throughout her academic career.
* 2010 she got the IADR/PRG Award in Regenerative Periodontal Medicine.
* In 2011, Harvard University awarded Martha Somerman the AADR's Paul Goldhaber Award, which is presented annually to "an individual who is held in the highest international esteem in his or her field relating to oral and systemic health", acknowledging her work in the field of the regeneration of hard and soft tissues.
* Most recently in 2018, she got awarded from the
International Association for Dental Research
The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a professional association, founded in 1920 by William Gies, that focuses on research in the field of dentistry. The aim of this association by constitution is to promote research in all ...
's (IADR
Distinguished Scientist Awardfor Basic Research in Biological Mineralization.
See also
*
Women in dentistry in the United States
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerman, Martha
Living people
National Institutes of Health
1947 births
University of Michigan faculty
NIH Women Scientists Project
New York University College of Dentistry alumni
Hunter College alumni
University of Rochester alumni
American scientists
American women scientists
American women academics
21st-century American women