Maria Ryan, DDS, PhD is the Vice President and Chief Dental Officer providing oversight and leadership for clinical research efforts, leading the Dental and Dermal Clinical organizations, as well as Knowledge Management. Focus on innovation in clinical method development; enhancing global networks through Dental Health Units in Europe, Latin America and the U.S.; and engaging closely with key opinion leaders in this space.

She is a member of the Medical Staff at University Hospital at Stony Brook University Medical Center and has 25+ years of experience in teaching, practice and research. She currently serves on several scientific, dental and medical advisory boards, is a nationally and internationally known speaker and author and has published over 75 original scholarly works. Her research has been funded by the NIH, private foundations and industrial sources. She also holds several U.S. patents based on her work at the University. Dr. Ryan’s multiple print, radio, internet and TV media interviews include appearances on CNN, Americas Health Network, NBC, CNBC, ABC and NPR to discuss newly emerging therapeutics, the connections between oral and systemic health and the need for early detection of periodontal disease and oral cancer.

She is a sought after speaker and her engagements include the Centers for Disease Control, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Periodontology, the Institute of Oral Health, the National Periodontal Disease Coalition of Oral Health in America and the National Institutes of Health to discuss the role of the dental professional in the provision of optimal overall health care, with a special emphasis on issues specific to the management of diabetes. She is the past President of the Stony Brook University Alumni Association and currently serves as President-Elect of the American Association for Dental Research.