The ADA Forsyth Institute

04/02/2026

What a year at IADR! We finished the conference with a fantastic reception attended by many members of the ADA Forsyth alumni community. We're so grateful to everyone who joined us there, stopped by our booth, or attended our scientists' presentations. Your support means everything. See you in 2027!

03/30/2026

Congratulations to ADA Forsyth postdoctoral fellow Dr. Faranak Zolfagharlookoohi, whose microbiology research earned her the Susan Hollingshead Award at the IADR Microbiology/Immunology Group Mini Symposium for Young Investigators.

The award recognizes the best presentation by an ESI/postdoctoral investigator.

"I am very grateful for all the support from my mentors, who are the guiding lights in my life: Dr. Jessica Mark Welch, Dr. Gary Borisy, and Dr. Floyd Dewhirst," she said.

03/27/2026

Congratulations to ADA Forsyth Professor Dr. Xuesong He!

Dr. He has been named Distinguished Scientist in Research in Oral Biology by the International Association of Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR). The prestigious award recognizes his field-defining contributions to oral biology. His work has provided invaluable evidence that the oral microbiome’s function, not merely its composition, is the appropriate lens for understanding disease-associated shifts.

Among his landmark achievements is cultivating the previously unstudied microbe TM7, later renamed Saccharibacteria. Dr. He’s lab continues to lead research in the new frontier of episymbiotic microbial interactions presented by Saccharibacteria.

After microbiology greats Drs. Martin Taubman and Floyd Dewhirst, Dr. He is the third ADA Forsyth researcher to be named a Distinguished Scientist in Research in Oral Biology.

Learn more about Dr. He’s recognition here: https://forsyth.org/ada-forsyth-professor-xuesong-he-named-iadr-distinguished-scientist-in-research-in-oral-biology/

03/26/2026

We're proud to celebrate ADA Forsyth Senior Member of Staff, Dr. Wei Hsu's election as a 2025 AAAS Fellow by the AAAS - The American Association for the Advancement of Science, a lifetime honor recognizing scientific excellence and impact.

Dr. Hsu investigates the fundamental mechanisms behind craniofacial development, tissue regeneration, and disease.

Election as an AAAS Fellow is a tradition dating back to 1874, reserved for those who have made distinguished efforts to advance science.

Congratulations, Dr. Hsu, on this well-deserved recognition. Your work pushes the boundaries of what's possible in regenerative science and craniofacial biology research here at ADA Forsyth and beyond!

03/25/2026

We're honored, and couldn't be more excited about calling Somerville our home... Happy ADA Forsyth Day!

116 years ago today, the Forsyth brothers founded a dental practice to care for the children of Boston who needed it most.

The ADA Forsyth Institute is now a world-class research institution guided by their founding mission, and since last year, they’ve called Somerville home.

This month, they were awarded the MassEcon's Gold Award for Economic Impact in Greater Boston, recognition of the $100M+ in research funding and growing workforce they've brought to our city.

So I’m proclaiming today, March 25, 2026, as ADA Forsyth Day here in Somerville. Big congrats to Dr. Wenyuan Shi and the whole ADA Forsyth team. We’re excited to see what you do next.

03/25/2026

🎉 Happy 116th Birthday to ADA Forsyth! 🎉

On this day in 1910, the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Four years later, the dream of the four Forsyth brothers was realized: the only place in Boston where poor children could receive dental care. That spirit became the foundation of our work today.

Within a year of the infirmary’s opening, Forsyth’s mission expanded with the influence of Dr. Percy Howe to research underlying causes of oral diseases, in addition to treatment of their symptoms.

A commitment to care and innovation endures today at ADA Forsyth. To our supporters, thank you for championing our research, believing in our community programs, and endorsing a brighter future for clinicians and patients alike.

Here's to celebrating this milestone together!

03/24/2026

Following her panel discussion at dentech 2025, we sat down with Denise Marks, EVP and Chief Financial Officer at the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, to continue the conversation around what is most exciting in oral health today and where the greatest gaps and opportunities remain.

She highlighted the importance of centering the patient voice to effect meaningful change, addressing the urgency of breaking down long-standing barriers to access and public understanding of oral healthcare

These are the kinds of conversations that push the field forward and help shape what comes next for oral health. At ADA Forsyth we could not be more excited for innovations in oral health to make a brighter, healthier future for all.

03/20/2026

Join us at IADR in San Diego!

If you’re attending, be sure to stop by booth #413 and say hello to our team.

Don’t miss ADA Forsyth’s lineup of researchers presenting their cutting-edge work throughout the week – in oral sessions, symposia, a keynote, and the poster hall.

We are looking forward to a great event!


International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research

03/10/2026

MassEcon has named The ADA Forsyth Institute the Gold Awardee of the 22nd Annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards, Greater Boston Region, its highest honor recognizing organizations making significant contributions to the Commonwealth’s economy and communities. Only 13 organizations across the Commonwealth were honored as finalists, with a Gold, Silver, and Bronze awardee named in each of 5 regions.

ADA Forsyth officially completed its move to Somerville in May 2025, bringing over $100 million in research grant funding and a vibrant, growing workforce. The state-of-the-art City of Somerville facility significantly expands ADA Forsyth’s clinical and research capacity.

Besides serving as the authoritative testing site for American Dental Association's trusted ADA Seal of Acceptance, ADA Forsyth also performs rigorous clinical evaluation and pre-clinical testing of products — strengthening quality and maintaining the highest standards.

ADA Forsyth also offers incubator space and outstanding core equipment facilities that help local companies access specialized infrastructure, reduce barriers to innovation, and scale more quickly.

Taken together, our science, public service, technology development, standardized testing, and clinical care represent meaningful contributions to the Massachusetts and national economy, backed by our 116-year legacy of pioneering the dental profession. Thank you, MassEcon, for recognizing us with this honor!

Get the full story: https://ow.ly/xwUA50YrWEt

03/09/2026

We're proud to see a beautiful cover image and exciting new study from the Hsu Lab here at ADA Forsyth!

Premature disorders often involve .

This Issue’s cover features work by Wei Hsu & team ADA Forsyth Institute, reporting on nuclear and cytoskeletal defects that mediate stem cell-associated osteogenic deformities in a mouse model of a premature aging disorder caused by mutation in prelamin A. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.196932

The cover image shows filamentous actin (red) outlining the cellular architecture of calvarial osteoprogenitor cells, with nuclei (blue).

02/26/2026

How do you measure hundreds of biomarkers from just a small sample? Take a look inside the Multiplex Core to see how it works.

In this video, Michele Patel explains how the ADA Forsyth Institute team uses a bead-based, laser-detection multiplex immunoassay system to study inflammation, immune responses, and disease signals. The Multiplex Core can work with a wide range of samples, such as saliva, gingival crevicular fluid, plasma, urine, culture media, etc. from human and non-human sources.

While oral health is the focus of our resident investigators, our research capability can support a wide range of research, helping scientists explore connections between oral and whole-body health: quantifying host response to therapy, monitoring disease progression, and studying pharmacodynamics and toxicology.

By measuring up to 500 analytes in a single well, researchers can generate rich, high-resolution data while saving time and sample volume.

Interested in how the Multiplex Core can support your next product or study? Connect with us to learn how our services can accelerate your research.

https://forsyth.org/core-services/

02/24/2026

Exciting news! ADA Forsyth Institute has been named a finalist for the distinguished Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Award, one of the Commonwealth's highest honors recognizing organizations making significant contributions to Massachusetts' economy and communities.

This week, AFI representatives attended the Finalists Reception in Lexington, MA, showcasing the transformative impact of our work: our legacy of pioneering oral health research, our new state-of-the-art Somerville facility, our power to convene the global scientific ecosystem, and our legendary commitment to local community engagement. Being recognized alongside Massachusetts' top economic drivers is an incredible honor and a testament to how ADA Forsyth’s scientific innovation can fuel regional growth.

Left to right: Dr. Wenyuan Shi, CEO; Jessica Weinstein, Manager of Enterprise Projects & Operations; Michael Mazzaferro, Director of External Affairs & Development.

We look forward to attending the awards ceremony later this spring at Gillette Stadium. Stay tuned to find out if AFI takes home the gold!