Congratulations to Dr. Janet Moradian-Oldak, who has been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Moradian-Oldak is a professor of dentistry at CCMB and a professor of biomedical sciences and bioengineering at the USC Viterbi School. She’s an expert on tooth enamel formation and structural biology.
“I’ve always been very curious. I’ve never been someone to accept something given to me on a plate. I’ve always wanted to make my own plate and cook it, so to speak,” she said.
She came to USC after looking for a university that valued research and that felt like a good fit. “I needed a place to call home, a comfortable place, a safe place. I found that at USC,” she said.
Moradian-Oldak’s research focus is on how proteins and bones form minerals in organisms. Her work has important implications in the dental field and beyond. She has developed hydrogel for regrowing tooth enamel and hopes that, one day, full enamel remineralization will be possible. Synthetic enamel would be an attractive option compared to amalgam or composite for patients looking to repair tooth decay or damage and regain the original strength of their teeth, she said.
The AAAS lauded Moradian-Oldak for “outstanding contributions to molecular mechanisms in biomineralization, assembly and function of inherently disordered matrix proteins for development of biomimetic peptide-mediated strategies for tooth repair.”
The AAAS awarded the distinction of fellow to 443 researchers nationwide this year. Founded in 1848, AAAS includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals.
Read more about USC’s new AAAS fellows here.