Dr. Christopher Overall receives the 2013 IADR Distinguished Scientist Award for Research in Oral Biology from outgoing IADR president Dr. Mary MacDougall (photo courtesy of UBC).
For his outstanding research in the field of oral biology, Dr. Christopher Overall of the University of British Columbia faculty of dentistry received the 2013 International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Distinguished Scientist Award.
Dr. Overall is a Canada Research Chair in metalloproteinase proteomics and systems biology. His research examines a group of proteins—enzymes called metalloproteinases—and their roles in periodontitis and other inflammatory diseases. One of his lab’s recent breakthroughs is the discovery of an enzyme, protease MMP2, that can activate inflammation by increasing blood vessel leakiness and turning on the bacterial fighting “complement cascade” in bacterial-induced inflammation.
The Distinguished Scientist Award was presented at the 91st General Session and Exhibition of the IADR in Seattle, Washington, in March 2013.
For more information on Dr. Overall’s work with MMP2, read UBC’s press release.