O. Ross Beirne named to chair Oral Surgery department in School of Dentistry

O. Ross Beirne

Dr. O. Ross Beirne has been named chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the School of Dentistry. The appointment was made following recommendations received from a multidisciplinary search committee.

Beirne came to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from the University of California, San Francisco, in 1985 as associate professor. In 1993, he became a professor. Beirne also directs the department’s residency training program.

“Dr. Beirne has established an international reputation for distinguished scholarship and service in his discipline and will help continue the tradition of excellence held by this department,” said Dr. Paul Robertson, dean of the School of Dentistry.

Beirne completed undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He received a D.M.D. from Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1972 and Ph.D. in biochemistry from University of California, San Francisco, in 1976.

A member of numerous professional organizations, Beirne currently serves as a delegate for the American Association of Dental Schools, Council of Hospitals; a member of the committee on judicial affairs, ethics and peer review for the Washington State Dental Association; councilor for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research; consultant for the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation; and member of the examination committee for the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His primary research interests include augmentation of the oral and maxillofacial region with autograft, allografts, and alloplasts; safety and efficacy of intravenous sedatives and anti-inflammatory agents; and the effect of composition and structure on the survival of dental implants.

Beirne succeeds Dr. Phillip Worthington, who had been chair since April 1981 and will continue as full-time professor in the department. ¶

Julie Rathbun