Former NIDCR Director Settles Lawsuit and Looks to the Future

Rena D’Souza, DDS, MS, PhD, a widely respected dental researcher, mentor, and academic leader, officially retired from her post as director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) on January 31, 2025. It followed an unexplained administrative leave instituted by the NIH. While NIH has not publicly disclosed the reason for her suspension, D’Souza’s departure brought an abrupt end to a transformative, albeit turbulent, tenure at the helm of the nation’s leading dental research agency.

In 2023, D’Souza filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Health and Human Services citing discrimination as the reason behind the disciplinary actions against her. She recently settled that lawsuit. Decisions in Dentistry sat down with D’Souza to find out why she decided to settle:

“First, my life was more fulfilling than anything that NIH could offer me during the time I was placed on administrative leave for yet unknown reasons. The environment was both hostile and toxic and I had witnessed much bullying and narcissistic behaviors from senior leaders. I was deeply affected by the suffering and anxiety this caused several vulnerable colleagues. I simply stood up for them and was punished for it.

“Second, I was proud of all that I had accomplished as director of the NIDCR and thrilled that I was able to transform a long-standing culture that represented a vertical hierarchy. It was one that was not supportive of clinical research and the translational science that drives cures and therapies to improve the lives of patients.

“Third, I knew I had the respect of my executive team, researchers, trainees, and NIDCR staff who worked so well together to advance several initiatives. These are now proving to be highly impactful today. Knowing that I stood up for the right thing for the right people who were defenseless and at the right time empowers me with a sense of inner peace and fulfillment.”

Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque, DDS, PhD, who Dr. D’Souza recruited to serve as NIDCR’s deputy director, was appointed acting director in January and will continue to lead the agency while the search for a permanent replacement unfolds. The NIH has not released a timeline or process for the next director’s selection.

A Career Defined by Leadership and Vision

Appointed in August 2020, D’Souza became the first woman of color to lead NIDCR, a distinction that symbolized the growing diversity within the scientific leadership at NIH. A native of India and a practicing dentist with a PhD in the Biomedical Sciences, D’Souza brought a unique blend of clinical, academic, and research experience to the role.

She assumed leadership during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when oral health professionals were facing unprecedented challenges and uncertainties. Under her guidance, NIDCR played a crucial role in helping the dental community adapt to evolving infection control protocols, resume patient care, and address the broader implications of the pandemic on access to dental services.

During her tenure, D’Souza championed initiatives that advanced the scientific mission of the institute while emphasizing inclusion, innovation, and interdisciplinary research. She was instrumental in the rollout of several high-profile efforts that involved strong teamwork among program staff and other NIH Institute/Center directors. These include :

• Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges. The first comprehensive report on the state of oral health in over two decades was released in 2021. The report underscored the persistent disparities in oral health across the US population and called for more integrated, prevention-oriented approaches to care.
• PRIMED (Practice-Based Research Integrating Multidisciplinary Experiences in Dental Schools) emphasizes clinical research training in primary care settings in order to transform dental school culture across the nation.
• AHEAD (Advancing Head and Neck Cancer Early Detection Research) will identify reliable biomarkers of oral cancers in a manner that will reduce the high morbidity and mortality rates of this deadly condition.
• TMD-IMPACT (Improving Patient Centered Translational Research) utilizes a systematic approach to best manage temporomandibular disorders (TMD) — from molecule to the patient.
• Two HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long term) initiatives focus on restoring joint health and function to reduce pain (RE-JOIN) and the oral complications from pharmacotherapies used to treat substance abuse disorder.
• STAMP (Sjӧgren Team for Accelerating Medicines Partnership) is working with federal and industry partners to better understand the underpinnings of Sjӧgren disease.
• The INCLUDE (Investigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down Syndrome) Project. A trans-NIH initiative in which NIDCR played a leadership role, the project aims to improve the health and well-being of individuals with Down syndrome through targeted research.
• The NIH Pain Consortium’s Centers of Excellence in Pain Education. Designed to improve how health care professionals are trained in pain management, the education includes both orofacial and TMDs.

D’Souza also prioritized the modernization of NIDCR’s research infrastructure and strategic planning. She frequently emphasized the importance of supporting early-career investigators, advancing translational science, and addressing social determinants of oral health through cross-sector collaboration.

A Look to the Future

While the final chapter of D’Souza’s federal service ended under a cloud of uncertainty, she is happy to start a new chapter, including some work-life balance.

“I take long walks, practice yoga/pilates,  and enjoy cooking and entertaining friends from NIH and from around the US and the globe who travel through the Washington, DC, area. I am back to more serious piano playing and sing with the Cantate Concert Chorale. I also enjoy spending time with Richard, my husband of 45 years, my two children, and 4-year-old granddaughter,” she shared.

That, however, does not mean that she is resting on her laurels. D’Souza has a full schedule of speaking engagements at both national and international conferences, and she continues work on manuscripts that discuss her research at NIH. The papers focus on craniofacial development and genetics. As a senior statesman for the profession, Dr. D’Souza is also busy composing visionary articles to guide the profession during a time of turbulent change. She consults for several dental schools, sharing her vision for the future of the oral health sciences and the need to encourage future generations of scholars.

An agent of change and a highly respected thought leader, D’Souza looks forward to future opportunities to make a difference in oral health both here in the US and across the globe.