Program Director, National Diabetes Education Program,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Kelly leads the NDEP, whose goals are to promote early diagnosis and improved outcomes for people with diabetes, as well as preventing the onset of diabetes in those at risk. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, and has over 15 years experience as a primary care clinician in resource-challenged settings with cross-cultural diversity.

At the 2007 IOH conference on Periodontal Disease & Diabetes, Dr. Kelly discussed the state of diabetes today, and encouraged oral health providers to promote diabetes awareness, management, and prevention in their practice.

View Dr. Kelly's Presentation  (5.3 MB)  |  NDEP website

Founder and President, Lifestyle Research Group (LRG)

The LRG specializes in evaluation and development of programs that improve health by reducing health risks, and provides health promotion guidance to the nation’s largest corporations. Dr. Aldana has published more than 60 articles on the prevention and reversal of chronic diseases, and authored numerous books on the subject. He is a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health, and frequent guest on TV and radio as an expert on lifestyle health management.

At the 2007 IOH conference, Dr. Aldana helped raise awareness about the declining state of health in America due to unhealthy lifestyle, and promoted the need for innovative solutions that put disease prevention into action.

View Dr. Aldana's presentation  (2.7 MB)  |  Dr. Aldana's website

Founder and Executive Director, Institute for Oral Health; Vice President and Dental Director, Washington Dental Service

Dr. Inge leads IOH initiatives to advance innovation in the dental profession, and in his management role for Washington Dental Service, he promotes positive changes in network development, provider relations and clinical policies. In addition to 15 years as a practicing dentist, Dr. Inge has held numerous executive positions in the dental benefits industry. He is also a nationally respected speaker on the topic of oral health.

As a strong advocate that oral health is an integral part of overall health, Dr. Inge hosted the 2007 IOH conference, encouraging the collaboration of professionals across the oral health profession and health care industry.

Associate Professor, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan

At the Univ. of Michigan, Dr. Taylor holds joint appointments in the Dept. of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics in the School of Dentistry, and in the Dept. of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health. Hiss research investigates relationships between oral diseases and systemic diseases, particularly the role of oral infections in diabetes. He also practices and teaches general dentistry and dental public health.

At the 2007 IOH conference, Dr. Taylor highlighted the effects of diabetes on periodontal health, and key areas of focus for interventional solutions.

View Dr. Taylor's Presentation  (843 KB)

Associate Professor, School of Dentistry, Department of Periodontics, University of Washington

Originally from Germany, Dr. Beikler's research focuses on the immunology and microbiology of periodontal diseases. He earned his medical and dental degrees at the Universities of Munich and Wuerzburg, Germany, and a Dr. med. dent. habil. degree (Ph.D.-equivalent) from the University of Muenster where he received his specialty training in periodontics. He served as an Associate Professor and Assistant Director and taught at the predoctoral and graduate level.

At the 2007 IOH conference, Dr. Beikler highlighted the impact of periodontitis on systemic health, challenges of managing oral diseases in diabetics, and solutions for integrative treatment plans.

View Dr. Beikler's presentation  (8 MB)

Senior Fellow, Project HOPE

At Project HOPE (an international health education foundation), Dr. Wilensky develops policies relating to health care reform. She is a leader and advisor on numerous national health commissions. In the 1990's, she directed the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and chaired advisory commissions focused on payment policies for Medicare and physicians. She testifies frequently before Congressional committees, acts as an advisor to members of Congress and other elected officials, and speaks worldwide for professional and consumer groups.

At the 2007 IOH conference, Dr. Wilensky identified today's primary challenges in the health care system —rampant growth in spending, inadequate patient safety, and low quality patient care— and introduced proactive solutions that can benefit both patients and health care providers.

View Dr. Wilensky's presentation (945 KB) | Dr. Wilensky's website

Distinguished Professor, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo

Dr. Genco is Director of the Buffalo Periodontal Disease Research Center and vice provost and director of the University at Buffalo Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach. His research focuses on causes, risk factors and systemic effects of periodontal disease, working for over 30 years on studies that have helped promote ways to prevent and treat oral diseases. Dr. Genco has published over 325 articles, contributed to 10 books, holds 9 patents, and is an advisor and founder of Therex, a biotech company.

At the 2007 IOH conference, Dr. Genco emphasized the importance of determining and analyzing risk factors that increase susceptibility to oral disease in order to provide effective intervention and prevention.

View Dr. Genco's presentation  (2 MB)  |  Dr. Genco's website

Director of Clinical Research, Professor, Oral Biology & Pathology, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Dr. Ryan is actively involved in teaching, practice and research at SUNY's School of Dental Medicine; serves on several scientific, dental and medical advisory boards; holds several patents; and has won numerous leadership awards in the dental profession. As a nationally known speaker and author, Dr. Ryan has published over 75 scholarly works, lectures frequently, and has appeared on TV and radio to discuss newly emerging therapeutics, the connections between oral and systemic health, and the need for early detection of oral diseases.

At the 2007 IOH conference, Dr. Ryan emphasized the correlation between periodontal disease and increased risks in systemic health, and promoted the need for proactive prevention.

View Dr. Ryan's Presentation  (5.4 MB)

Vice President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Dr. Errante brings over 25 years of experience in dentistry and entrepreneurship to his leadership role at Blue Cross. He manages the dental insurance business and helps create solutions that integrate dental and medical data to advance care and benefits for oral health and overall health. He is a nationally recognized executive in the dental industry and has built, operated and sold leading dental benefit businesses and large dental group practices.

At the 2007 IOH conference, Dr. Errante highlighted his research and leadership efforts to integrate data on oral health and systemic health to create more cost-effective and patient-centric health care.

View Dr. Errante's presentation  (480 KB)