The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is pleased to welcome Dr. Lawrence Tabak DDS, PhD, Principal Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to the college on Feb. 13.

Tabak is the keynote speaker of the 71st annual meeting of the Iowa Section of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR). His address, “The View from NIH: Many Challenges, Many Opportunities” will give insights and updates from the NIH.

The event begins 8:00 a.m. (CT) with a welcome address from Dean Clark Stanford and features presentations from College of Dentistry faculty members Dr. Jun Cao and Dr. Julie Reynolds before the introduction of the keynote speaker. View the complete agenda on this page.

Following Tabak’s address, there will be a short break where attendees will have the opportunity to interact with Tabak before oral presentations begin in various locations throughout the Dental Science Building.

Tabak served as acting NIH director from December 20, 2021, to November 8, 2023. He was appointed as the NIH Principal Deputy Director and the Deputy Ethics Counselor in August 2010 following his tenure as Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research from 2000-10.

Prior to joining NIH, he previously served as the senior associate dean for research and professor of dentistry and biochemistry and biophysics in the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester in New York. A former NIH MERIT recipient, he has received several honors and awards for his work including election to membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. He has also received teaching awards for his work with both graduate and medical students.