Chair, Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences

Chair, Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) invites nominations and applications for the next Chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences. This is a full-time 12-month appointment at the rank of associate professor or full professor, based upon credentials and qualifications. In partnership with the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the ideal candidate will be eligible for a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Bioengineering. The Chair will lead strategic planning in alignment with the School's vision and mission. The successful candidate will maintain and advance a high-impact research program while providing strategic leadership for the department's broader research portfolio, spanning preventive and restorative dentistry, digital technologies, bioengineering, artificial intelligence, and regenerative, implant, and biomaterials sciences. The Chair will contribute to teaching across dental and medical students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, and will serve as a core member of the HSDM Leadership Team. The Chair will also provide mentorship, career development guidance, and broad faculty support. The successful candidate should have academic experience, a national reputation for excellence, documented success in strategic change leadership, and a strong record of scholarship and research. The Chair provides leadership for the vision, strategic direction, and long-term growth of the department in alignment with the mission and priorities of the HSDM and SEAS. The Chair is also responsible for overseeing departmental operations, faculty and staff supervision, curriculum management, and fiscal stewardship. This role includes mentoring and evaluating faculty, including providing input on promotion, tenure, reappointment, and merit processes, as well as ensuring didactic and clinical education excellence. The Chair reports to the Dean of HSDM. HSDM offers a unique interdisciplinary environment for teaching, research, service, and clinical activity, central to our mission at HSDM and the University. The Chair works collaboratively with other members of the Dean's leadership team, including department chairs and associate deans, to support effective education, patient care, research, and faculty development. The Chair communicates regularly with the Dean, participates in and represents the school and university in leadership and committee meetings, and serves as a key liaison between departmental faculty and School administration. Located in the heart of Boston's Longwood Medical Area, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) occupies a distinctive position within one of the world's most concentrated communities of biomedical research, clinical care, and health professions education. HSDM's integration with Harvard Medical School and proximity to Harvard's extensive network of affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutions create exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across medicine, dentistry, engineering, basic and translational science, and population health. Faculty benefit from a rich intellectual ecosystem extending across the Longwood Medical Area and the broader Harvard University community, providing extraordinary opportunities to build collaborations, advance discovery, translate research into clinical practice, and develop new approaches to oral and systemic health. Established in 1867, HSDM was the first dental school in the United States to be connected with a university and coordinated with its medical school—a legacy of integration that continues to define the School today. HSDM is also the only school within Harvard University with its own clinical facility providing direct patient care. The School seeks to continue setting a standard of excellence in interdisciplinary dental education, state-of-the-art clinical practice, and cutting-edge basic, clinical, and translational research. Guided by this vision, HSDM is dedicated to developing a community of global leaders who advance oral and systemic health. The Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences encompasses biomaterials, endodontics, implant dentistry, operative dentistry, and prosthodontics, and houses the Division of Regenerative and Implant Sciences. With 10 full-time and more than 75 part-time faculty, it is HSDM's largest department and carries primary responsibility for didactic and clinical instruction in the predoctoral curriculum. The department supports a broad portfolio of clinical, basic, translational, and scholarly activity. Its faculty contribute to research and clinical programs across HSDM and Harvard's broader network of affiliated academic, healthcare, and research institutions, creating significant opportunities for the next Chair to strengthen existing collaborations and develop new interdisciplinary initiatives across the Harvard ecosystem.