21 July 2025

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Yang Chai named dean of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

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Yang Chai, associate dean of research at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, has been named dean of the school, effective July 1.

Chai, a USC University Professor of Dentistry, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, has been serving as interim dean of the school. He will be appointed as the G. Donald and Marian James Montgomery Professor of Dentistry.

“Chai is committed to teaching and patient care, leading the head and neck anatomy course for DDS students, teaching graduate students in craniofacial biology, and practicing dentistry in the Ostrow Faculty Dental Practice,” Steven D. Shapiro, USC senior vice president for health affairs, wrote in an email to the university community.

A clinician-scientist, Chai earned his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree from Peking University School of Stomatology, where he also did his residency training in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Later, he completed his DDS and PhD degree in craniofacial biology at USC. He is the holder of the George and MaryLou Boone Chair in Craniofacial Molecular Biology at USC, and serves as the director of the Ostrow School’s Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology.

Chai is noted for his research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of craniofacial development and birth defects, which has led to the successful rescue of cleft palate and suture regeneration in craniosynostosis in preclinical studies. He studies stem cells, and he and his research team are currently preparing for first-in-human clinical trials using innovative 3D-printed scaffolds combined with stem cells to regenerate tissue for patients who have lost skull bone due to trauma, congenital defects or disease.

With support from the National Institutes of Health, he has built multiple national consortia such as the Center for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Tissue and Organ Regeneration and FaceBase, a data resource for researchers.

New Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC dean: Accomplished scientist

Chai is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. He has authored more than 180 scientific papers and numerous book chapters, and edited the book Craniofacial Development. Chai has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for more than 27 years. His work has earned him multiple awards, including the 2011 International Association for Dental Research Distinguished Scientist Award and 2023 Paul Goldhaber Award from Harvard University School of Dental Medicine.

Chai is married to Lihua Liu, an associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. The couple’s two daughters earned undergraduate degrees at USC and went on to pursue doctoral studies at the university, one at Keck School of Medicine and the other at the Ostrow School.

The Ostrow School was founded in 1897 as one of the first dental schools in the state. Organizationally, the school also includes the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy and the USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, both of which are top five-ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

Source: https://today.usc.edu/