Members
Members
Executive Members
Dr. Baumhauer is a tenured Professor of Orthopaedics and serves as the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs for the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. In addition to providing clinical care, she is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, a board of director of Accountable Health Partners, ACO for the Rochester Region and Ex Officio BOD for the PROMIS Health Organization. She received a BS from Springfield College, MS from Middlebury College, and MD from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. She completed orthopaedic residency in Vermont and a Fellowship in Foot and Ankle Surgery in Wisconsin. She earned an MPH from the UR School of Public Health. Dr. Baumhauer is the past president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), Eastern Orthopaedic Association and the PROMIS Health Organization. She has published over two hundred peer reviewed papers and book chapters. She has led the design and implementation of several multi-centered clinical trials allowing new, innovative orthopaedic products the scientific rigor to allow approval through the FDA into the hands of physicians to advance patient care. Her current research interest on the use of patient reported outcomes (PROs) in clinical decision-making and clinical trials to improve the care provided to patients. She has studied how collecting and sharing PROs affect patient engagement, patient satisfaction, clinical efficiency and healthcare value.
Dr. Eliav is a professor and the Director of the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, Vice Dean for Oral Health at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Vice President for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Eliav was previously the Chair of the Department of Diagnostic Sciences, the Director of the Center for Temporomandibular Disorders and Orofacial Pain and Carmel Endowed chair in Algesiology at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, part of Rutgers University. He earned his Dental Degree, MSc and PhD from the Hebrew University and Hadassah in Jerusalem and MBA from the University of Rochester. He specialized in Oral Medicine at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Jerusalem, Israel and trained in Clinical and Basic Science Research Program in the National Institute of Health Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Since 2008 he is the Editor in Chief of Quintessence International and in 2018-2023 served as associate Editor of the Journal of Oral-Facial Pain and Headache. His research focuses on orofacial pain, alternatives to opioid therapy in dentistry, quantitative sensory testing, neuropathic pain, pain modulation, transition from acute to chronic pain and the role of inflammation in neuropathic pain.
Founding Members
Jack G. Caton, DDS, MS, is Eastman Institute for Oral Health’s associate director for education, director of the master's program and a faculty member in the department of periodontics. He stepped down as chair of the Periodontics Department after 50 years of dedicated leadership in 2024. Widely known for his significant contributions to periodontology and his high educational standards, he has received numerous awards and honors during his impressive career. He served as commissioner for the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and as director and chair of the American Board of Periodontology. He is past president of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) and also served as secretary-treasurer and president of the AAP Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Caton’s many honors include the William J. Gies Award in Periodontology and the Gold Medal for contributions to Periodontics from the AAP. Dr. Caton has 120 published scientific articles and chapters on periodontal wound healing, animal models, diagnosis, and human clinical trials. The Jack Caton Endowed Fellowship was created in 2015 to advance his vision of academic excellence by providing a grant to those committed to scholarly and clinical advancement in periodontology and who are interested in pursuing an academic or administrative position in periodontology.
Rita Dadiz, DO, is professor of pediatrics and a neonatologist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (URSMD). She serves as the co-director of the URSMD Dean’s Teaching Fellowship, program director of the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) Fellowship, director of the Neonatal Innovation and Safety Simulation Program, and vice-chair of the National Neonatology Curriculum for the American Academy of Pediatrics Organization of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Training Program Directors. Her research centers on the applications of educational innovation and simulation to improve patient safety, patient care, and the clinical learning environment.
Cyril Meyerowitz, DDS, MS, is Professor and Director Emeritus of the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center and served as Director of the Northeast Node of the NIDCR funded National Dental Practice-Based Research Network from 2012 to 2024. Throughout his career he has been involved in dental education and research, serving nationally on the Commission on Dental Accreditation, as the chair of the Postdoctoral General Dentistry Committee and a Commissioner, as the postdoctoral representative of the Commission for Change and Innovation of the American Dental Education Association, and as chair of the Council of Dental Education and Licensure of the American Dental Association. Dr Meyerowitz’ research has been translational in nature focusing on salivary dysfunction and its relationship to dental caries, the relationship of systemic diseases to oral health, and practice-based research. He has had a life-long interest in educational research and in training clinical researchers. He has received NIH and commercial funding for his work and has been the principal investigator on NIDCR clinical research training grant awards (T32 and T35).
Christopher J. Mooney, PhD, MPH, MA is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester, with joint appointments in Public Health Sciences and Health Humanities and Bioethics. He serves as Director of Assessment and Director of the Medical Education Pathway in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and directs multiple courses across the medical school curriculum. In these roles, he leads assessment initiatives, supports faculty and student development, and contributes to educational research and scholarship. Nationally, Dr. Mooney has held multiple leadership positions in medical education. He is Past President of the Society for Directors of Research in Medical Education (SDRME), Past Chair of the AAMC’s Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) program, and Past Chair of the NEGEA’s Medical Education Scholarship, Research, and Evaluation (MESRE) Section. Dr. Mooney’s research focuses on the scientific understanding of teaching, learning, and assessment in health professions education, with an emphasis on developing practical applications that improve both educational practice and health outcomes.
Shannon Moreland, DNP, MS, RN, FNP, CEN, is an assistant professor of clinical nursing at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. Her nursing career began at Strong Memorial Hospital on the adult flex team, providing her diverse experience across various units such as trauma, general medicine, respiratory, PICC/IV team, and liver and kidney transplant before transitioning to the adult emergency department. Moreland continued working in the emergency department until 2014. Moreland is a senior advisor to DNP students, offering mentorship during project development, implementation, and evaluation. She also plays a crucial role in DNP admissions by conducting applicant interviews and creating degree plans for admitted students. Moreland earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Bonaventure University and a bachelor's of science in nursing from the University of Rochester School of Nursing. She graduated from the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Family Nurse Practitioner master’s programs at the UR School of Nursing.
Dr. Anne Nofziger is a Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MD from Indiana University School of Medicine, followed by Family Medicine residency and serving as Chief Resident at the University of Rochester. She joined the Family Medicine faculty in 2000, as the medical school planned for major curricular reform. Dr. Nofziger has directed the School’s multi-modal phase assessment program until 2011, then served as director of the medical school's Primary Care Clerkship until 2020. Current roles include Associate Dean for Advising in the medical school, director of the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship for mid-career faculty at URSMD, and director of junior faculty affairs as Vice Chair in the department of Family Medicine. Her academic interests include formation of clinical competence and professionalism, advancing quality in medical education, individualizing mentorship for students and faculty, communication coaching, and comprehensive outpatient primary care.
Christopher Seplaki, PhD FGSA is Professor of Public Health Sciences and Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and an internationally recognized leader in public health education and aging research. A Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, he is a scholar whose research advances understanding of health and function in later life and vulnerable populations. His work applies population-based studies, advanced statistical methods, and complex systems modeling to inform policy and practice. Complementing his scholarship, Dr. Seplaki is an award-winning educator and academic leader who directs Rochester’s Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accredited MPH program. He advances public health education both nationally and internationally as a chair of CEPH accreditation site visit teams and as a member of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health Accreditation Advisory Committee, which helps shape standards for public health education worldwide. He is recognized as a thought leader in integrating emerging technologies into public health education and research, shaping best practices for the use of generative AI and guiding national conversations on its application in teaching and research. Dr. Seplaki teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in research methods and applied topics in population health. He mentors junior faculty, doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate students, and works to foster innovative and collaborative learning environments that prepare future public health professionals to lead in research, policy, and practice.
Meghan Underhill, PhD, APRN, AOCNS, is an assistant professor at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, a member of Cancer Control and Prevention at the Wilmot Cancer Institute, and a nurse practitioner at the Wilmot Cancer Institute. Underhill has dedicated her career to understanding the experiences of and improving care for individuals and families living with inherited cancer risk. As an active nurse practitioner within the Hereditary Cancer Program, her program of research focuses on building and implementing clinical innovations that transform the focus of cancer genetics from an illness model to a wellness focused model that directly responds to the needs of individuals and families. She has widely disseminated research findings both through publications and presentations and has served as the nurse scientist on multidisciplinary teams which has had national and international impact. She has worked to share her research expertise with others and has provided long-lasting successful research mentorship to multiple pre and postdoctoral nursing trainees. In addition to clinical practice, research, and mentorship, Underhill has served in multiple capacities as an oncology nursing science leader both locally and nationally within the Oncology Nursing Society and the American Academy of Nursing.