Alumnus Saqr awarded AAP Foundation Schoor Award

Aziz Saqr, DDS, MSD ’24, was named the recipient of the 2024 American Academy of Periodontology Foundation Schoor Award. The award is given annually to a resident who has demonstrated exceptional research abilities.

During his time at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, Saqr pursued specialty training in periodontics and dental implant surgery, created a surgical technique for augmenting soft tissue around dental implants, and published a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effect of osseodensification drilling on implant stability and long-term healing.

“Winning the AAP Foundation Schoor Research Award is an absolute honor,” Saqr said. “This award encourages residents to publish their research, and I felt that our findings were meaningful and deserved to be shared with the dental community.

“Receiving this recognition is a testament to the quality of research at the School of Dentistry. I am 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.”

The Robert S. Schoor Research Award Program is a $2,000 award for resident-written manuscript. A wide range of research subjects that are significant to the clinical practice of periodontology are supported.

The program is named in memory of Robert S. Schoor, DDS, a champion of periodontal education and students. He served as director of the Advanced Program in Periodontics and Implant Dentistry at New York University College of Dentistry, president of the American Academy of Periodontology, and examiner of the American Board of Periodontology. He also served as a captain in the United States Air Force.

“Representing the School of Dentistry by winning a national award is incredibly meaningful to me, especially since Houston is my hometown,” Saqr said. “It’s an honor to be able to bring recognition to a program that has played such a pivotal role in my education and professional growth. It is a privilege to contribute to the school’s legacy.”

Saqr thanks his research mentor, Popi Stylianou, DDS, MS, associate professor in the Department of Periodontics and Dental Hygiene, for trusting him with his research project and offering unwavering support throughout his residency. He also thanks Srinivas Ayilavarapu, BDS, DSc, MDS, professor and director of the Advanced Education Program in Periodontics, for his mentorship and invaluable assistance with patient recruitment.

He later won the AAP’s Balint Orban Memorial Competition.