VCU School of Dentistry has named Oonagh Loughran, Ph.D., as the school’s first associate dean for graduate studies, effective July 1. 

Since joining VCU School of Dentistry in 2013, Loughran has focused on improving graduate research. This includes creating the curricula and directing the Ph.D. program in Oral Health Research with concentrations in cancer, infection and immunology, and bioengineering as well as the Oral Biology concentration in the Masters in Microbiology and Immunology program. 

She has also spearheaded several projects and initiatives including research selectives for dental students, faculty clinical research and innovation grants. She also teaches and directs courses for graduate, advanced education, dental and dental hygiene students.

In her new role, Dr. Loughran will oversee the administration of all graduate research training at VCU School of Dentistry, including the Master of Science in Dentistry programs, Master of Science and Ph.D. research programs and research courses embedded within the dental and dental hygiene curriculums. She will continue as the program director for the Master of Science and Ph.D. research program. The overarching administrative focus will help enhance the integration of research throughout the school.

“This role aligns closely with the priorities outlined in our new five-year strategic plan, supporting educational excellence, innovation and research,” said Lyndon Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of VCU School of Dentistry. “These priorities are particularly important because excellence in clinical care is based on excellent research. Without continued innovation and research there would be no progress in diagnosing and treating disease. Our graduate research students play an integral role in testing hypotheses and generating the data that will ultimately benefit the patients.”

“VCU School of Dentistry is well known for its clinical excellence but we are also gaining a reputation for our research excellence, and deservedly so as we are the 17th ranked dental school for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding,” said Loughran. “If a dental school does not prioritize research in this field, who should? If we do not train scientists to have a focus on diseases associated with the head and neck, who will? Our graduate research students are integral to the research enterprise of the nation and will ensure that there is a cadre of scientists with a focus on treating diseases associated with the head and neck.”

Loughran brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in cancer research, clinical research and overseeing graduate programs. She has a background in cancer research with a Ph.D. from University College Dublin, followed by several years of post-doctoral research experience at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research and the University of Glasgow in Scotland where her research focused on identifying molecular pathways for drug targeting in cancer.

Following her postdoctoral research, she was awarded European funding to conduct technology foresighting and develop university industry collaborations to increase the commercialization of new technologies. Subsequently, she worked with Scottish universities to commercialize their technologies and served as a member of an investment committee that awarded seed funding to university technologies in the health care field. 

Prior to joining VCU School of Dentistry, Loughran was also involved in creating a translational and clinical medicine initiative, between Scottish universities, health care providers and global pharmaceutical companies to advance therapeutics in multiple diseases.

In her current role at VCU, other duties include faculty advisor for the VCU School of Dentistry student research group and oversight of the AD Williams Student Research Fellowships, the Alexander Fellowships, the faculty clinical research and innovation awards, and the annual VCU School of Dentistry Research Day.