Two Dental Branch faculty members have been nominated by Mark Wong, D.D.S., chairman and program director of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, to serve as chiefs of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) at area hospitals.

Nagi Demian, D.D.S., M.D., associate professor, has been nominated to serve as chief of OMS at LBJ General Hospital. Wong said Demian has demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities, clinically and educationally, and has developed excellent working relationships with the hospital staff and administration. “The service has flourished under his influence and has increased both its clinic and operating room census numbers.”

James Kennedy, D.D.S., clinical associate professor, have been nominated to be the new chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Ben Taub General Hospital. Before starting his academic career, Kennedy joined the Dental Branch after a long and respected career in private practice. His past accomplishments have included the Presidencies of the Houston Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners. “As a distinguished alumnus of both our dental school and residency program, Dr. Kennedy is well qualified to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Jimmy Johnson.”

To read more about James “Jimmy” Johnson, D.D.S. visit http://publicaffairs.uth.tmc.edu/leader/index.html and choose the fourth story down.

Shetty inducted into International Academy of Oral Oncology

Kishore Shetty, D.D.S., director of the Medically Complex Patient Clinic, has been inducted as a fellow into the International Academy of Oral Oncology. The academy provides a common platform to head and neck surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, physicians, epidemilogists, prosthesis and others involved in oral cancer. Congratulations Dr. Shetty!

The DB helps Houston Food Bank Fight Hunger

The UT Dental Branch is hosting a table, 1-2 p.m., Wednesday, June 27, to support the UT Houston Food Drive. There will be a table on first floor for donations, canned goods and monetary gifts. Cake will be offered to sweeten the deal!

Donations can be dropped to the UTDB Coordinators- Ronda Lowe, Kathy Thomas and Nancy Bass on the 3rd floor after Wednesday. For every five food items or $5.00 donation, participants will be entered into a drawing for one of 14 prizes. Also, for a $5 donation, participants will receive a UT badge that reads: "I helped Bevo fight hunger".

The annual UT Health Science Center Food Drive is sponsored in conjunction with KHOU-TV's "Spirit of Texas" Food Drive, the Texas Medical Center, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, and the Kroger Company. All proceeds benefit The Houston Food Bank.

Research Day - Save the date

The UT Health Science Center’s annual Research Day: “New Pathways to Discovery – Leaders in Innovation” will take place Friday, Oct. 19 at the Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building of the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. The event will include a faculty/trainee symposium, 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., followed by a student/ postdoctoral fellow poster session, 1-3:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the session. A final program and call for abstracts will be sent out to the health science center community by Wednesday, Aug. 1.