Media Contacts:
ADA Forsyth: Jill Sirko, jsirko@forsyth.org
ADA Media Relations: mediarelations@ada.org
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 14, 2024 – The ADA Forsyth Institute (AFI), a world-class organization for oral health research and innovation, today announced its new Board of Directors. The new board brings together leaders from industry, technology, and investment to help guide the strategic growth of this new organization.
The board announcement follows the debut of AFI in October 2023, when the Forsyth Institute joined with the American Dental Association’s Science & Research Institute (ADASRI) to become one world-class research organization driving innovation to propel dentistry and oral health forward on a global scale.
“Some of the field’s greatest innovators and leaders reside on our new board of directors,” said Wenyuan Shi, Ph.D., AFI Chief Executive Officer. “Together with the unparalleled talent of our researchers, the AFI is now positioned to usher in a new era of research, development, and innovation in dentistry and oral health.”
ADA executive director Raymond Cohlmia, D.D.S., will chair the new board. Three members of the former Forsyth Institute board – Elyse Cherry, Michael Greeley, and Stephen E. Thorne IV – will be part of AFI’s board. James M. Boyle, D.D.S., Teresa Dolan, D.D.S, M.P.H. and J. Leslie Winston, D.D.S., Ph.D. are former ADASRI Board members who will join the ADA Forsyth Board.
Under the strategic guidance of the new board, AFI will continue to be the leader and incubator of firsts in this space, focusing on biological research, clinical service and public health outreach and technological innovation. Key areas of investigative research include immunology and inflammation, dental and craniofacial development and bioengineering, and microbiology and the oral microbiome.
The ADA Forsyth Institute’s Board of Directors includes:
Board Chair Raymond A. Cohlmia, D.D.S. – Executive Director, American Dental Association
Dr. Raymond Cohlmia is the executive director of the American Dental Association. He graduated with a Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry in 1988 and served in private practice for 27 years while also holding a faculty appointment at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. He became Assistant Dean for Clinical Operations in 2013 and served as Dean from 2015 to 2021. Additionally, Dr. Cohlmia has held volunteer leadership positions at various dental organizations, including the American Dental Association as a delegate and trustee, on ADA councils, committees, and task forces, as well as presidencies at the state and local level.
James M. Boyle, III, D.D.S. – Partner, Susquehanna Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Dr. Boyle, III is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon serving York County, Pennsylvania, and currently serves on the American Dental Association Board of Trustees. A recognized leader in his field, Dr. Boyle is a veteran who achieved the rank of Commander in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps after over two decades of distinguished service, serving aboard two aircraft carriers, USS Carl Vinson and USS Eisenhower. His military career included time as a staff surgeon at the Bethesda Naval Hospital and US Naval Academy. Dr. Boyle is also an accomplished researcher and practitioner and was awarded the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Presidential Award in 2017 for his outstanding contributions to his field.
Elyse D. Cherry – Chief Executive Officer, Blue Hub Capital
Ms. Cherry is the Chief Executive Officer of a national nonprofit community finance organization, Blue Hub Capital, with a 35-year history of building healthy communities where low-income people live and work. The organization has $1.2 billion in assets under management, has invested over $2.2 billion to finance affordable housing and promote community stability, equity, and growth, and has leveraged an additional $12 billion from other investors. She is a pioneer in the fight for LGBTQ equality and has received numerous awards for her community leadership and advocacy. Ms. Cherry formerly served as Chair of the Forsyth Board.
Teresa Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H. – Chief Dental Officer, Overjet
Dr. Dolan is the Chief Dental Officer of the global leader in dental AI, Overjet. Her extensive industry and academic experience includes serving as Dentsply Sirona’s Chief Clinical Officer and as the Dean and Chief Academic Officer at the University of Florida College of Dentistry from 2003 to 2013. She is recognized as a champion of oral public health and actively works to increase diversity in the dental field.
Michael Greeley – Co-Founder and General Partner, Flare Capital Partners
Mr. Greeley co-founded Flare Capital Partners, one of the nation’s leading healthcare technology venture capital firms. Prior to this, he was the founding partner of Flybridge Capital Partners as well as having served on the boards of numerous start-up portfolio companies. Additionally, Michael has served on various innovation and investment advisory boards for Advocate Health, Boston Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, MedStar Health, and MGB Ventures, as well as serving on the Governor’s Digital Health Council and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Michael earned a BA with honors in chemistry from Williams College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Stephen E. Thorne, IV, B.A., M.H.A. – Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Dental Services®
Mr. Thorne is the founder and CEO of Pacific Dental Services (PDS), one of the nation’s leading dental and medical support organizations, which provides business support services to nearly 1,000 dental and primary care practices operating in major market areas across the United States. Under his leadership, PDS has become a prominent authority on the Mouth-Body Connection® (the oral-systemic link), working to highlight the growing need for better collaboration between dental and medical professionals to improve patient outcomes. PDS was the first dental support organization to integrate Epic® into its supported dental practices, offering dental and medical providers comprehensive insights into patients’ overall health.
J. Leslie Winston, D.D.S., Ph.D.- Vice President, Global Oral Care Measurement Sciences and Professional Scientific Relations, Procter & Gamble
As a Vice President for Procter & Gamble, one of the leading consumer products companies in the world, Dr. Winston is responsible for designing and conducting laboratory and clinical studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral care products worldwide. She is an experienced researcher who combines her research and business acumen to improve oral global public health. Dr. Winston is a periodontist who received her D.D.S. from the University of Iowa. She received her Ph.D. in Oral Biology from State University of New York at Buffalo as well as her Certificate in Periodontology.
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About the ADA Forsyth Institute
The ADA Forsyth Institute was founded in 1910 as the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children (later, the Forsyth Institute), to provide dental care to the disadvantaged children of Boston. While continuing to serve children in need, yet recognizing the ultimate goal is to prevent dental disease, the Institute in 1915 began to focus on scientific research and is today the world’s leader in oral health research. In October of 2023, the Institute joined with the American Dental Association to form the ADA Forsyth Institute, a 501(c)(3) entity dedicated to improving people’s oral and overall health and powering the profession of dentistry through cutting-edge basic research, creative translational science, innovative clinical technologies, and global public health outreach. Consistent with the Institute’s founding mission, the ADA ForsythKids mobile dental program continues to serve children in need.
About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, representing 159,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public’s health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA’s state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), published monthly, is the ADA’s flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA’s consumer website MouthHealthy.org.
