UR’s School of Medicine & Dentistry Names Jin Xiao Associate Dean for Oral Health Education

Eastman Institute for Oral Health Professor Jin Xiao, DDS, PhD, has been appointed associate dean for Oral Health Education at the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Jin Xiao, DDS, PhD

Xiao will oversee oral health education in clinical care and research, support educational innovation and advancement for translational researchers.

She serves as the director of the K12 Clinician-Scientist Training Program at the University of Rochester’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute and co-directs two cornerstone development courses for faculty at all levels. She also serves as co-lead of URMC’s new Academy of Educators.

Many of Xiao’s mentees—junior faculty, postdoctoral dental residents, undergraduate, master’s, PhD, and medical students—have advanced to faculty positions in dental schools around the world.

Xiao has secured more than $11.6 million in federal funding to support her research, which focuses on understanding the biological factors that contribute to severe tooth decay among young children and developing innovative solutions to improve oral health outcomes.

She is the founding director of Perinatal Oral Health at EIOH, an integrated medical-dental model that promotes maternal and infant oral health by breaking long-standing myths and providing evidence-based education for residents and patients. She leads a multidisciplinary team across the University to apply AI and digital technologies for early detection and prevention of oral disease outside of traditional dental clinics.  

“As associate dean, Dr. Xiao will continue to expand her impact and leverage her exceptional leadership for the benefit of our students,” said Sarah Peyre, EdD, chief operating officer and vice dean for Education at UR’s School of Medicine and Dentistry. “She is a visionary who

Sarah Peyre, EdD

works tirelessly to support and elevate all who are around her. I’m looking forward to collaborating with her well into the future.”

Her visionary leadership extends to national and international scientific organizations. Xiao is associate chair for the American Dental Association’s Scientific Council, where she leads a group of 20 renowned U.S. oral health researchers and clinicians to develop policies that sustain the scientific basis of the dental profession while supporting product standards and evaluation, research priorities, safety and efficacy of patient procedures, and the ADA Seal of Acceptance.  She also serves as president of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) e-Oral Health Network and is past president of the IADR Clinical and Translational Science Network.

Eli Eliav, DMD, PhD, MBA

“Dr. Xiao’s commitment and dedication to academic excellence and faculty advancements are unparalleled,” said Eli Eliav, DMD, PhD, MBA, EIOH director and SMD’s vice dean for Oral Health. “Her extensive experience and leadership will prove valuable as we continue to train providers who are adequately equipped to deliver quality, community-centered care and advance translational research to benefit patients everywhere.”

Xiao has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Robert Holloway K12 Alumni Award, the Iranpour Award for Excellence in Clinical Education, and recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research. She has published extensively as a global leader in maternal and child oral health, with more than 90 peer-reviewed publications advancing clinical care, science, and education.

Xiao earned her DDS in 2003 and PhD in oral microbiology in 2009 from West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, completing the final two years of her doctoral training and postdoctoral work at the University of Rochester. She also completed two postdoctoral residency programs at Eastman Institute for Oral Health from 2012-2014.