Research

EIOH Researchers Rank Among the Top Scholars Worldwide

Jul. 24, 2025

A recent global analysis by ScholarGPS has recognized Eastman Institute for Oral Health as home to some of the world’s leading researchers in oral health and related specialties.

Using advanced algorithms, ScholarGPS evaluated the scholarly impact of some 30 million researchers from 120,000 institutions across 200 countries. The assessment considered each individual’s contributions across 14 broad fields, 177 disciplines and 350,000 specialties.

Among those ranked, nine EIOH faculty members placed in the top 0.7% worldwide, 15 were ranked in the top 3% and another 12 were recognized in the top 5%--a reflection of the Institute’s depth of expertise and sustained research excellence.

This prestigious acknowledgment by ScholarGPS is facilitated by advanced data mining and artificial intelligence and underscores EIOH’s significant contributions to various facets of oral health.

Scholar GPS assesses scholars not only based on all publications across their lifetime but also based on just the past five years. In this way, fair comparisons can be made between early-career and more established scholars regarding recent quality, productivity and impact.

Developed over several years by a distinguished panel to overcome the limitations of existing ranking methods, ScholarGPS also calculates separate scores for the number of times a scholar cites his/her own work and the number of authors for each publication.

Additionally, ScholarGPS provides separate rankings for various fields and disciplines among the academic institutions globally and within the institution. The fields and disciplines are reviewed over a lifetime and the prior five years.

This breakdown shows how some of the University of Rochester’s key programs-including dentistry—ranked.

Lifetime Ranking

University of Rochester’s Global Field

Public Health ranks 59^thglobally, 1^st among UR programs
Dentistry ranks 67^th globally and ranks 2^nd among UR programs.
Medicine ranks 68^th globally, 3^rd among UR programs
Business and Management ranks 69^th globally, 4^th among UR programs.

University of Rochester’s Global Discipline

Environmental Health Sciences ranks 5^th globally, 1^st among UR programs
Oral Health ranks 13^th globally, 2^nd among UR programs and shares this placement with
UR’s Business Administration, Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Family Medicine ranks 14^th globally, 3^rd among UR programs

Prior 5 Years Ranking

University of Rochester’s Global Field

Dentistry ranks 85^th globally and 1^st among all UR programs
Public Health ranks 113^th globally, 2^nd among UR programs
Medicine ranks 142^nd globally, 3^rd among UR programs
Physical Sciences and Mathematics ranks 233^rd globally, 4^th among UR programs

University of Rochester’s Global Discipline

Oral Health ranks 6^th globally and 1^st among all UR programs
Family Medicine ranks 16^th globally and 2nd among UR programs
Immunology ranks 25^th globally and 3^rd among UR programs
Neurosurgery ranks 28^th globally and 4^th among UR programs

Dr. Basil Bibby (right) shaped EIOH’s research legacy, securing early NIDCR grants and sparking innovation among faculty and residents.

Throughout its history, EIOH has consistently ranked in the top NIDCR-funded institutions. The ranking is especially significant because the University of Rochester’s dentistry and oral biology research arm – through Eastman Institute for Oral Health-- is much smaller compared to the other high-ranking institutions.

Research topics are wide ranging: clinical research projects in the EIOH specialty departments and in the Rochester community, classic University of Rochester oral microbiology and salivary research, oral pain and translational and basic research topics interfacing with the University of Rochester School of Medicine research laboratories.

EIOH’s Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences and the Clinical and Translational Research Core encompass a wide variety of areas, including oral infectious diseases, dental caries, salivary diagnosis and therapy, craniofacial development, orofacial pain, periodontal diagnosis and therapy, implants, tooth enamel, materials, laser, nerve injury and pain modulation, and practice-based research, among others.

EIOH in the Top 0.7%

Dr. Jack Caton (Perio '73, MS '73) has dedicated his research to periodontal wound healing, including animal models, diagnosis, and human clinical trials. He is recognized in the top 0.4% of Dentistry scholars worldwide, particularly for his work involving doxycycline.

Dr. Eli Eliav focuses his research on orofacial pain, with expertise in quantitative sensory testing, neuropathic pain, pain modulation and the role of inflammation in neuropathic pain. He ranks among the top 0.3% of Dentistry globally, and among the top 0.7% in the areas of neuropathic pain, peripheral neuropathy, and nerve injury.

Dr. Thomas Diekwisch explores the genetic and protein mechanisms behind the development and maintenance of dental tissues, as well as dental evolution. He ranks in the top 0.6% of Dentistry and the top 0.9% in Periodontics. He is also in the top 1% of Dentistry scholars over the past 5 years.

Dr. Sharon Elad investigates oral complications of cancer treatment – such as mucositis, osteonecrosis of the jaw, and chronic graft-versus-host disease – as well as the dental care these patients require. She is in the top 0.7% of Dentistry scholars overall and ranks even higher within the last 5 years: top 0.3% in Dentistry and 0.4% in Oral Health. scholars within the past 5 years. Notably, she holds the #1 global ranking in the symptomatic treatment specialty in the last 5 years.

Dr. Emile Rossouw’s research includes clinical orthodontics, biomaterials, jaw growth and long-term stability. He is ranked in the top 0.6% of Dentistry and Orthodontics scholars worldwide.

Dr. Richard Gracely specializes in pain measurements, mechanisms, and treatment. He ranks within the top 0.1% of scholars overall and in Dentistry, and is currently #6 globally in Endodontics research.

Dr. Rafael Benoliel studies the identification and management of orofacial and headache pain, particularly trigeminal traumatic neuropathies. He is among the top 0.3% of Dentistry scholars, the top 0.6% of scholars overall, and the top 0.9% of scholars in peripheral neuropathy research

Dr. Panos Papaspyridakos’s research is focused on dental implants, esthetics, and digital dentistry. He ranks in the top 1% of Prosthodontics scholars and the top 2% overall. In Dentistry, his recent work places him in the top 0.7% over the past 5 years and the top 1.3% over his whole career.

Dr. Fawad Javed (GPR ‘18, GenDen ’17) concentrates his research on oral health management in patients with systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes. He is ranked in the top 0.2% of Dentistry scholars and the top 0.3% of Oral Health scholars within the past 5 years, particularly for his recent work in chronic periodontitis. He also ranks in the top 0.2% of Dentistry and 0.4% of Oral Health scholars overall, and in multiple specialties including dental implants, systemic disease, and photodynamic therapy.

EIOH in the Top 3%

Dr. Basir Barmak specializes in biostatistics and research design, contributing to diverse projects including implant manufacturing and artificial intelligence applications. He is in the top 0.8% of Dentistry scholars and the top 1% of Oral Health scholars within the past 5 years.

Dr. YanFang Ren (MS ’06, OFP ’99, GenDen ’98) studies dental erosion, discoloration and whitening, dental materials, and access to care. His research also includes pain medication usage and ventilation in dental clinics during COVID-19. He is among the top 1.1% of Dentistry scholars and the top 1.7% overall, with high impact in temporomandibular joint research.

Dr. Konstantinos Chochlidakis (MS '19, Prostho '13) primarily conducts clinical trials on full-arch implant prostheses, digital dental technology, and dental ceramic materials. He is ranked in the top 1.1% of Dentistry scholars and the top 2.5% overall within the past 5 years.

Dr. Carlo Ercoli (MBA '19, Perio '12, GenDen '98, OFP '97, Prostho '96) specializes in prosthodontics, implants, and digital dentistry. He ranks in the top 1.1% of Dentistry scholars and the top 1.7% overall, particularly for his research on removable partial dentures and systemic diseases.

Dr. Jin Xiao (GPR '14, GenDen '13) studies maternal and infant oral health, oral microbiomes, and bacterial and yeast interactions in dental caries. is ranked among the top 1.1% of Oral Health scholars within the past 5 years, especially for her research on Streptococcus mutans.

Dr. Dimitrios Michelogiannakis (Ortho ’17, MS ’17) explores how factors such as BMI and periodontal disease influence orthodontic outcomes, and also studies new treatment modalities such as clear aligners. He ranks in the top 1.1% of Dentistry scholars, the top 1.4% in Oral Health, and the top 2.6% overall.

Dr. Gerald Graser’s (MS ’72, Prostho ’72) is known for his research on overdentures, dental materials and osseointegrated dental implants. He ranks in the top 1.7% of Dentistry scholars, the top 1.3% of Prosthodontics, and the top 2.5% of scholars overall.

Dr. Junad Khan (GenDen ’20) conducts both clinical and basic science research on orofacial pain, including neuropathic pain, drug development, and pharmacotherapy. He is ranked in the top 1.7% of Dentistry scholars and the top 3.5% of overall scholars within the past 5 years, particularly for his work on inflammatory cytokines.

Dr. Hans Malmstrom focuses his research on prosthodontics, cosmetic dentistry, and implants. He ranks in the top 1.8% of Dentistry scholars, and the top 2.7% of scholars in Oral Health and overall. He is also in the top 0.4% of scholars in dental surgery research and ranked #8 globally within the past 5 years.

Dr. Dorota Kopycka-Kedzierawski (MPH '03, GenDen '02) focuses on oral disease prevention, caries research, and teledentistry. Within the past 5 years, she ranks in the top 1.8% in Dentistry, 2.3% in Oral Health, 3.7% overall, especially in early childhood research.

Dr. Ronald Billings is recognized for his work in childhood caries research and teledentistry. He is ranked in the top 1.9% of Dentistry scholars and the top 2.8% of Oral Health and overall scholars, particularly for his research in early childhood tooth decay.

Dr. Walter Psoter (GPR ’80) studies head and neck cancer screening, as well as patients’ quality of life during and after treatment for such cancers. He is among the top 2.2% of Dentistry scholars and ranks in the top 3.2% of scholars in Oral Health and overall, particularly for his research on tooth decay, oral cancer, and malnutrition.

Dr. Alexandra Tsigarida specializes in the microbiology of peri-implantitis. Within the past 5 years, she ranks in the top 2.2% of Dentistry scholars, 3% of Periodontics, and 4.5% overall.

Dr. Timothy Blieden (Perio ’91, PhD ’91, MS ’88) ranks in the top 2.4% of Dentistry scholars, the top 3% of Periodontics scholars, and the top 3.4% of scholars overall, particularly for his research on inflammation and lymphocytes.

Dr. Gene Watson studies dry mouth, cavities, and the effects of dental drugs. He ranks in the top 2.6% of Dentistry scholars and the top 3.7% of scholars in Oral Health and overall, especially for his studies on development.

EIOH in the Top 5%

Dr. Szilvia Arany (MSBA ’18, GPR ’17, GenDen ’16) ranks in the top 4.2% of Dentistry scholars, particularly for her salivary gland research.
Dr. Sangeeta Gajendra (MS ’12, GenDen ’04) ranks in the top 4.2% of Dentistry scholars.
Dr. Mark Hatala (Ortho ’93, OFP ’91, GenDen ’90) ranks in the top 1.9% of scholars studying temporomandibular joint disorders.
Dr. Sergio Varela Kellesarian (MS ’18, GenDen ’17) ranks in the top 3.3% of Dentistry scholars, and the top 4.5% of scholars in Oral Health and overall, particularly for his research in photodynamic therapy.
Dr. Heeje Lee (Prostho ’07) ranks in the top 4% of Dentistry scholars and the top 3.8% of Prosthodontics scholars.
Dr. Cyril Meyerowitz (MS ’80, GenDen ’75) ranks in the top 4% of Dentistry scholars.
Dr. Carlos R. Quinones (Perio ’91, MS ’92) ranks within the top 2.9% of Dentistry scholars and the top 4% overall, particularly for his dental implant and maxillary sinus research.
Dr. Linda Rasubala (MS ’21, GPR ’13, GenDen ’12) ranks in the top 3.5% of Dentistry scholars and the top 4.1% of Oral Health scholars within the past 5 years. She is also among the top 5% of scholars in Covid-19 research.
Dr. Christopher Roberts (Ortho ’87, GenDen ’84) ranks in the top 1.8% of scholars studying temporomandibular joint disorders.
Dr. Davide Romeo (Prostho ’21, MS ’21, GenDen ’18) ranks in the top 1.3% of scholars performing retrospective cohort studies within the past 5 years.
Dr. Roberto Sanchez-Woodworth (Ortho ’85) ranks in the top 1.7% of scholars studying temporomandibular joint disorders.
Dr. Ralph Saunders (MS ’88, GPR ’80, GenDen ’76) ranks in the top 4.3% of Dentistry scholars, particularly for his research on old age and tooth decay.