21 September 2026

---

Bits and Bites – September 2026

---

The new school year is in full swing at Texas A&M College of Dentistry, and that includes a host of faculty promotions and new hires and important happenings.

University update

Dr. Reginald Taylor was promoted from associate professor in orthodontics to professor. He’s also director of predoctoral orthodontics and was recently accepted as a Fellow of the American Dental Association Council of Deans .

Dr. Yan Jing was promoted from assistant professor in orthodontics to associate professor with tenure.

Dr. Deborah Foyle, clinical associate professor in periodontics, was promoted to clinical professor. Foyle was also named associate dean for student affairs earlier this year.

Why it matters

Dr. Celeste Abraham, clinical associate professor in periodontics, was promoted to clinical professor.

Dr. Xiaofang Wang was promoted from associate professor in biomedical sciences to professor.

Drs. Alicia Spence, Christine Chu and Elham Ighani, were all promoted from clinical assistant professors in comprehensive dentistry to clinical associate professors. Spence is also director of recruitment and admissions.

Maureen Brown was promoted from clinical assistant professor in dental hygiene to clinical associate professor. Brown is also interim executive director, and she was recently named to 2026-27 American Dental Hygienists’ Association Board of Directors .

Academic context

Dr. Xiaohua Liu returned to full-time teaching after serving as an adjunct for a few years. He returned as a full-time, tenured professor in periodontics.

Dr. Yu-Hsin “Emily” Chen is a clinical assistant professor in periodontics.

Drs. Sonaj Vardhaman, Nazia Haque and Justin Harlin, clinical assistant professors in comprehensive dentistry. Dr. Ariene Kraus was hired as a new associate professor in comprehensive dentistry.

Dr. Kevin Brunstein is a new clinical assistant professor in pediatrics.

Already a leader in temporomandibular disorders research, A&M Dentistry will host TMD IMPACT Symposium and research event Sept. 18-20 to highlight advances in TMD research and provide advice for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research’s TMJD program. The event, both in-person and virtual, is open to National Institutes of Health-funded research teams, practitioners who treat TMD and patients.

The meeting supports NIH’s TMD Collaborative Project and A&M Dentistry’s more than $2.87 million grant as part of the $17 million Collaborative for Research to Advance TMD Evidence (CREATE). The project, launched last year, collects data on patients’ chronic pain to identify ways to eventually manage TMDs more effectively.

“This will serve as the inaugural kick-off meeting for what is intended to become a recurring forum focused on advancing TMD research and clinical practice,” said Dr. John Neubert, head of biomedical sciences and A&M Dentistry’s principal investigator in the world’s most extensive collaborative study of patients with TMDs. “We anticipate approximately 100 attendees participating in person.”

Topics will include mechanisms of pain, joint degeneration, translational models, emerging therapies and integration of patient advocacy perspectives to inform research priorities and improve patient-centered diagnosis, management and outcomes.

To attend in person, it is $150. To register, go to TMD IMPACT Symposium | College of Dentistry.

Plans are to study 1,000 patients with TMDs and 300 pain-free individuals across five national sites, including A&M Dentistry, collecting brain images, clinical data and more. CREATE is funded by the NIDCR and led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

About 200 people will likely participate in A&M Dentistry’s study, Neubert said. Dr. Madhu Nair, professor and head of diagnostic sciences, is A&M Dentistry’s other co-investigator.

Other principal investigation sites include the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and the University of Florida College of Dentistry, where Neubert taught and first contributed to the project’s planning before joining A&M Dentistry in February 2025. Other partnering institutions are Missouri State University, UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, HealthPartners Institute, and The TMJ Association, a patient advocacy organization.

“We believe an in-person meeting provides an important opportunity to strengthen collaborations that have thus far occurred primarily through virtual meetings,” said Neubert, a nationally respected oral pain specialist. Bringing the group together face-to-face will enhance scientific exchange, foster new partnerships, and help align future research and patient-centered initiatives.”

A&M Dentistry was chosen for the event because of its central location.

TMDs affect 5-10% of the U.S. population, according to NIDCR. The conditions are at least twice as common in women as in men, and TMDs can occur alone or with other medical conditions such as back pain, migraines, fibromyalgia and arthritis.

CREATE’s research will build on the findings of Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment, the largest prior study on TMDs.

Dr. Fabricio Teixeira, the head of endodontics, recently returned from Warsaw, Poland, where he was invited to speak at The 23rd World Congress on Dental Traumatology . The conference focused on treatment approaches to improve the survival of pulp tissue after traumatic dental injuries. Dr. Teixeira emphasized the importance of clinicians using a combination of approaches that are tailored to the specific condition of the tooth, the clinical situation, and the patient’s preferences.

The Legacy and Excellence Alumni Association Awards on Aug. 21 honored Dr. Colin S. Bell and Briana “Breezy” Bonney for their dedication to both A&M Dentistry and the dental community.

Bell, Baylor College of Dentistry Classes of 1979 and 1984, received the 2026 Texas A&M College of Dentistry Legacy Award, formerly known as the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the highest award presented by the Texas A&M University College of Dentistry Alumni Association. For nearly 40 years, Bell served as a clinical professor in the undergraduate Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic on campus and dedicated himself to educating and mentoring future dentists.

He completed his oral and maxillofacial training at Baylor University Medical Center in 1984, has served as president of the Texas Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, president of the Southwest Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, president of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and as a board member of the OMS National Insurance Company. In addition to serving as an officer in these organizations, he has been a lecturer, examiner and active member of numerous committees, contributing his expertise across virtually every aspect of professional governance and education.

The pinnacle of his service to the specialty was his election as chairman of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Bell also maintained a full-time, comprehensive oral and maxillofacial surgery practice, providing outstanding care to his patients while advancing the profession at every level.

He is a founding partner of Oral Surgery Associates of North Texas, a U.S. Oral Surgery Management partner practice. Bell is a former member of USOSM’s clinical governance board.

“At every stage of his professional life, Dr. Bell has earned the respect and confidence of his peers, colleagues, patients, students, and the many organizations with which he has been associated,” stated Dr. William E. Thornton, dental Class of 1969, who nominated him. “Time and again, those who knew him best elected him to positions of leadership, a reflection not only of his exceptional abilities, but also of the trust they placed in his judgment, character, and commitment to the profession. Few individuals have been called upon so consistently by their peers to lead at the local, state, regional, and national levels.”

Briana “Breezy” Bonney, clinical assistant professor in the dental hygiene program since 2025, received the 2026 Excellence Alumni Association Award given to those with 10 years or less of experience. Bonney, A&M Dentistry Class of 2016, is active in numerous state and national organizations, such as Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association and the American Academy of Dental Hygienists, where she has done speaking engagements. Bonney is the author of several self-study courses and is co-owner and co-CEO of The Lazy Hygienist in Rockwall, which provides continuing education courses.

Nominator Martha Estrada, clinical assistant director and course director in the dental hygiene program, said Bonney volunteers to help graduating seniors prepare their licensure application materials and volunteered recently at Licensing Expo in Austin.

She exemplifies integrity, selfless service, and an unwavering commitment to student success, Estrada, A&M Dentistry dental hygiene Class of 2003, wrote.

“Every day she embodies the Aggie Core Values through her leadership, service, excellence and genuine dedication to others,” Estrada wrote.

A&M Dentistry dental students Hammad Madinawala, Diya Baby, Ayoo Rita, Christopher Galbraith, Austin Warren, Katelyn Dunavant, Elsa Syed, Mohammad Morsy and Carolyn Tejeda Reyes conducted oral health screenings and provided education Aug. 22 at Community Health & Wellness Fair hosted by American Muslim Women Physicians Association. Dr. Hoda Abdellatif, clinical associate professor in public health sciences and director of the Office of Community Outreach, was the faculty supervisor.

Source: https://insights.dentistry.tamu.edu/bits-and-bites-september-2026