Saqr wins AAP’s Orban Competition

Alumnus Aziz Saqr, DDS, MSD, a 2024 graduate of UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry’s Advanced Education Program in Periodontics, was named the winner of the American Academy of Periodontology’s Balint Orban Memorial Competition.

Saqr won first place in the clinical science category for his project, titled “Ridge Dimensional Changes and Implant Stability Utilizing the Osseodensification Protocol: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” His mentor was Popi Stylianou, DDS, MS, associate professor in the Department of Periodontics and Dental Hygiene.

“Winning the Balint Orban Award is an absolute honor,” Saqr said. “Receiving this national recognition is a testament to the quality of research at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to our school’s distinguished legacy. I’m also inspired by the many world-renowned periodontists who have won this award before me, and I aspire to contribute to the field of periodontics in a similarly impactful way. Many thanks to my research mentors, Dr. Popi Stylianou and Dr. Srinivas Ayilavarapu, for their unwavering support throughout my time at the School of Dentistry.”

Saqr was recognized at the AAP and AAP Foundation Awards Ceremony at the 110th Annual Meeting. He received a monetary award of $1,250 and a plaque of recognition.

“Dr. Saqr achieved a landmark honor by winning the Balint Orban Research Award, the highest national research recognition for periodontics residents in the United States,” said Nikola Angelov, DDS, MS, PhD, chair of the Department of Periodontics and Dental Hygiene. “His study exemplifies the rigor and vision we strive for in research. Dr. Saqr’s meticulous work and dedication make this recognition exceptionally well-deserved.”

A Houston native, Saqr received his Bachelor of Science in Human Science from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry before obtaining his specialty training in periodontics and dental implant surgery from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. He currently practices as an associate periodontist at Katy Periodontics & Dental Implants in Katy, Texas.

More commonly referred to as the Orban Competition, the prestigious event has been featured at the AAP Annual Meeting since 1960. The competition provides a platform for current periodontal residents or students who have completed their training up to 18 months before the AAP Annual Meeting to present in clinical and basic science research categories.

Saqr was one of eight finalists selected to present their research to a panel of judges at the AAP’s Annual Meeting. Saqr et al.’s manuscript will be published in the Journal of Periodontology in 2025.

The Orban Competition is named in honor of Balint J. Orban, MD, DDS, an AAP member who was influential in developing the scientific foundations of contemporary periodontics.

The AAP’s 110th Annual Meeting was held Oct. 31-Nov. 3, in San Diego.

Earlier in the year, Saqr received the 2024 AAP Foundation Schoor Award, which is given annually to a resident who has demonstrated exceptional research abilities.