27 May 2026

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Double wins, double grins

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Joshua Allen, oral pathology graduate student and graduate assistant in diagnostic sciences at Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas, has multiple reasons to smile.

Research highlights

Dr. Joshua Allen, oral pathology graduate student and graduate assistant in diagnostic sciences at Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas, has multiple reasons to smile. He was recently awarded both the prestigious Shafer Award from the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and A&M Dentistry’s annual Clinical Graduate Research Award.

Allen also graduates May 22 with a master’s in oral biology and a certificate in oral and maxillofacial pathology.

Oral and maxillofacial pathology deals with the nature, identification and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. The specialty investigates the causes, processes and effects of diseases.

Why it matters

“I had my first oral pathology class during my second year of dental school at the University of Washington in Seattle,” he said. “I thought it was fascinating, interesting and challenging … “It’s solving a mystery with cells, clinical images and information.”

AAOMP’s Shafer goes to the graduate student who scores the highest on the fellowship exam each year. Each student takes the exam in the third and final year of residency.

Allen is A&M Dentistry’s fourth Shafer recipient. Dr. Allison Lee , now a clinical assistant professor in oral pathology at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry, received the award in 2024 and mentored Allen. She was with him when he learned of his accomplishment at AAOMP’s annual conference last month in Denver, Colorado.

“From the very beginning, he was a joy to work with and demonstrated a remarkable natural ability and keen eye for pathology,” Lee said. “I believe Dr. Allen’s outstanding work ethic and commitment to excellence have been central to his success.”

Academic context

A&M Dentistry’s other Shafer recipients are Dr. Leticia Ferreira Cabido, now clinical associate professor in diagnostic sciences, who earned it in 2011; and Dr. Paras Patel, who earned it in 2017 and later joined A&M Dentistry’s faculty before going into private practice in Dallas.

A&M Dentistry’s award is given to a graduate student in the final year of residency, highlighting contributions to the chosen program. Allen received the award on April 30 at a luncheon ceremony on the Gaston Avenue campus for his study of squamous odontogenic tumors, which are rare, derived from cells that form teeth, and usually occur in people between 20 and 40. They are benign but aggressive and require surgery to remove.

He was nominated by Dr. Victoria Woo , his program director and clinical professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology in diagnostic sciences.

“Beyond being an extraordinarily skilled pathologist and clinician, Dr. Allen is a committed researcher whose scholarly contributions have meaningfully advanced our field,” Woo wrote in her nomination. “His ability to critically evaluate and synthesize the literature is noteworthy, and he seamlessly applies this strength to both his research endeavors and patient care.”

He’s also a supportive mentor and role model to his fellow residents and students, leading by example and consistently demonstrating the diligence and competence that define an outstanding clinician-scientist, she stated.

Woo also earned the Shafer in 2005 during her residency in New York. She joined A&M Dentistry in 2020.

There are only a few oral pathology graduate programs in the United States, and Allen said A&M Dentistry’s is unique because 90 minutes each weekday is devoted to faculty and graduate students reviewing cases as a group.

Allen’s next challenge is to expand his research scope with a one-year fellowship in head and neck pathology at the University of Chicago.

Source: https://insights.dentistry.tamu.edu/double-wins-double-grins