Robert J. Genco Posthumously Named Fellow of the National Academy Of Inventors
Robert J. Genco, DDS, PhD, a State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) distinguished professor of oral biology, periodontics and microbiology, has been posthumously named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
Robert J. Genco, DDS, PhD, a State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) distinguished professor of oral biology, periodontics and microbiology, has been posthumously named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Genco died on March 6, 2019 at the age of 80. Hailed as a pioneer in the discovery of the oral-systemic link, Genco — a researcher, academician and periodontist — provided some of the first evidence demonstrating a potential association between periodontal disease and other systemic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and several cancers.
After joining the UB faculty in 1968, Genco went on to serve as director of the UB Microbiome Center and chair of the Department of Oral Biology. During his 51 years at the university, his lab was responsible for numerous scientific findings, including the identification of bacteria responsible for periodontal disease, and the establishment of smoking, osteoporosis and stress as risk factors for periodontal infections. His research on periodontal disease led to the commercialization of 10 oral health care products, ranging from toothpastes to soy calcium tablets.
Genco published more than 400 articles, edited or contributed to nearly 30 textbooks and book chapters, and served in the editorial leadership of more than 10 scientific journals. Among his many accolades were the Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Dental Research, Norton M. Ross Award from the American Dental Association, and the Gold Medal Award and Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Academy of Periodontology.
From Decisions in Dentistry. February 2020;6(2):11.
