Senior Vice President for Clinical and Translational Research & Senior Member of Staff, ADA Forsyth Institute
Professor of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard Medical School

Prof. Dr. Thomas Van Dyke is the Senior Vice President for Clinical and Translational Research and Senior Member of Staff at the ADA Forsyth Institute. He also holds a faculty appointment as Professor of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity at Harvard Medical School. A globally recognized leader in periodontology and inflammation biology, Prof. Van Dyke has dedicated his career to advancing our understanding of host-microbial interactions in oral and systemic health.

He received his D.D.S. from Case Western Reserve University, followed by an M.S., Certificate in Periodontics, and Ph.D. in Oral Biology from SUNY Buffalo. He has also been awarded two honorary doctorates from Justus Liebig University in Giessen and the University of Copenhagen, recognizing his outstanding contributions to dental research.

Prof. Van Dyke is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Balint Orban Memorial Prize, IADR Award for Basic Research in Periodontology, Norton Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research, and the William J. Gies Periodontology Award. He served as President of the International Association of Periodontology (1997–1999) and continues to influence the field through his editorial work, including editing two volumes of Periodontology 2000, and serving on multiple editorial boards.

With over 425 original scientific publications and numerous book chapters and abstracts to his name, Prof. Van Dyke’s research has had a lasting impact on the fields of periodontology and immunology. His scientific focus centers on the structural and functional abnormalities in the inflammatory response—particularly the role of phagocytic cells and microbial interactions—in the pathogenesis of periodontal and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

In addition to his basic and translational research, Prof. Van Dyke leads clinical research and trials that explore novel approaches for the treatment of periodontal disease through active modulation of the host inflammatory response. He is also deeply involved in mentoring the next generation of clinician-scientists and directing strategic research initiatives at the ADA Forsyth Institute.

Prof. Van Dyke is a member of several leading professional organizations, including the American and International Associations for Dental Research, American Academy of Periodontology, International Academy of Periodontology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Dental Association.