Joana Cunha-Cruz, D.D.S., Ph.D., a professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, has been elected to several national leadership roles that reflect her growing influence in oral health research.
Cunha-Cruz will serve as chair of the Ethics in Dental Research Committee for the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) through March 2026. She was also elected secretary/treasurer of the Behavioral, Epidemiologic, and Health Services Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), and as a member of the AADOCR Science Information Committee.
“As chair of the ethics committee, my priority is to ensure that our new code of ethics reaches every member of our community, empowering us all to stay informed and uphold the high standards that define our work,” Cunha-Cruz said.
She noted that the revised AADOCR Code of Ethics, approved in March in New York, is now under review by the IADR Board, with a vote expected in June in Barcelona. The code is designed to guide ethical conduct in dental research and scholarship across the global research community.
At UAB, Cunha-Cruz directs practice-based and community-based research in the Department of Clinical and Community Sciences. She also serves as National Director of Communications and Dissemination for the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), which is headquartered at UAB. In this role, she helps connect researchers and clinicians across the country to improve dental care delivery and outcomes. Her work includes leading communication strategies and supporting studies such as the nation’s first and largest dental implant registry.
A public health and clinical researcher with more than 15 years of experience, Cunha-Cruz applies epidemiology, behavioral science, and implementation research to improve oral health systems and promote oral health. She is also a senior scientist in multiple UAB centers, including the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education.
Cunha-Cruz was a member of the 2023-2024 cohort of the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy, a program that prepares faculty for leadership roles in academic health centers.