VCU School of Dentistry names Dr. Lyndon F. Cooper as dean

Richmond, Va. — The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry announced Jan. 12 that it named Lyndon F. Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., as its new dean, effective April 18.

“Dr. Cooper is an internationally renowned and innovative patient-oriented researcher and clinician, whose leadership will build on the VCU School of Dentistry’s existing robust portfolio and its focus on forward-thinking practices around patient-centered education,” said Art Kellermann, M.D., senior vice president for VCU Health Sciences, in a news release.

Dr. Cooper currently serves as associate dean for research and head of the department of oral biology at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry, where he has expanded research in regenerative sciences, biomedical devices and translational studies evaluating the roles of a variety of biomarkers linked to cancer.

Prior to the University of Illinois Chicago, Dr. Cooper served as program director of advanced prosthodontics at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry. He is a diplomate and a former president of the American Board of Prosthodontics. He earned his dental degree from New York University, his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, New York, and a certificate in prosthodontics from the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester. He also completed a two-year research fellowship at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, Maryland.

“VCU has a strong reputation in dental education and research, and I’m looking forward to building on this excellent foundation and securing VCU School of Dentistry’s rightful place as one of the top dental schools in the country serving the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Dr. Cooper said.