Dr. Bei Wu , PhD, Professor in the New York University (NYU) Rory Meyers College of Nursing, was recently honored with a 2017 International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Distinguished Scientist Award for Geriatric Oral Research. The award is given to stimulate, encourage, and recognize outstanding research accomplishments in the field of geriatric oral research.

To receive the award, recipients must have conducted original and important investigations in basic, clinical, or epidemiological sciences associated with geriatric oral health. Dr. Wu has published several papers on topics related to oral health disparities in older adults, trends and trajectories of oral health, and oral health in relationship to cognitive impairment and diabetes.

Recent research conducted by Dr. Wu found that certain oral health measures like number of teeth and periodontal disease were not associated with risk of cognitive decline or incidental dementia. Cognitive decline was also not associated with greater loss of teeth or number of decayed teeth. According to NYU.edu, Dr. Wu notes that,

“It is unclear how or whether oral health and cognitive status are related. Additional research is needed in which there is greater agreement on how oral health and cognitive states are assessed to better examine the linkages between these two health outcomes.”

To learn more about Dr. Wu’s position at NYU and her influence in the field of geriatric oral health research, visit here.

Christina Morgan
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