2021 Faculty Research & Master Clinician Awards

Two distinguished faculty members received their award plaques, recognizing them as awardees of the 2021 School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Master Clinician Awards.  The School of Dentistry first announced the award winners in April as the awardees were speakers during the 39th Annual Research and Clinical Symposium. Faculty Research Award Anibal Diogenes, DDS, MS, PhD, was selected for the 2021 Faculty Research Award for his long-running standard of research excellence. In the past 15 years alone, he published over 93 peer-reviewed articles, many of which in highly regarded scientific journals. At last count, Diogenes had generated over 3K lifetime citations and had an h index of 28. In addition to a prolific career, Diogenes continues to make a substantial impact in regenerative endodontics and pain biology. The American Association of Endodontists adopted his work in regenerative endodontics as guidelines for regularly treating children. He is nationally and internationally recognized for his work, earning the Journal of Dental Research Cover of the Year Award in 2018, the 2019 International Association for Dental Research Distinguished Scientists Award for Pulp Biology & Regeneration, and the 2021 Journal of Endodontics Award for Clinical Research. In her letter in support of his nomination, Nikita B. Ruparel, MS, DDS, PhD, director of the Advanced Education Program in Endodontics, wrote, “I think Anibal’s work has the potential to truly change the way we think about stem cell biology and the disease process associated with apical periodontitis and, therefore, will benefit clinicians tremendously in the near future.” Master Clinician Award The 2021 Master Clinician Award was presented to Nasser Barghi, DDS, MA, professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, to recognize his world-renown mastery in the field of esthetic dentistry. Dr. Barghi has long been considered a pioneer of modern restorative practices based on his work with ceramic veneers and bonding agents in the 1980s. Leading a career that spans 50 years, Dr. Barghi first arrived at the School of Dentistry in 1976 as an associate professor to teach fixed prosthodontics. Since then, he has lectured on numerous topics, from dental anatomy to esthetic dentistry. In addition, he has published over 180 scientific articles and abstracts on restorative clinical evaluations and materials from composite resins and dental adhesives to titanium. Dr. Barghi is a highly sought-after speaker and has presented at over 440 events and conducted over 1000 clinical courses in more than 100 countries worldwide. Dr. Barghi’s influence can be traced to prominent restorative dentists throughout Texas and beyond. His mentorship of top-ranking dental clinicians is hard to deny. “Dr. Barghi’s impact has transcended countless generations of UT Health San Antonio graduates,” said Ahmed Sabbah, DDS, PhD, program director of the Advanced General Dentistry Program. “Every year, hundreds of students take his esthetic course that has become a trademark of our predoctoral curriculum. UT Health San Antonio’s dental esthetic curriculum is the strongest in the country due to the efforts of Dr. Barghi.” The School of Dentistry’s Faculty Research and Master Clinician Awards were established in 2020 to recognize outstanding contributions by dental faculty. The Office of the Dean will circulate an announcement for nominations each fall.