Powers Center celebrates 30th anniversary

The John M. Powers, PhD, Center for Biomaterials and Biomimetics celebrated 30 years of service to the field of the scientific community of dentistry on Oct. 29.

Leaders in different areas of research presented notable findings in recent years that have been a direct result of the Powers Center, followed by a reception honoring the man many at the School of Dentistry and beyond consider an esteemed mentor. The celebration appropriately coincided with the 14th Annual Student Research Showcase, where current students displayed and presented their findings from the 2024 Summer Research Program.

“The Powers Center has grown, thrived, and evolved over the years,” said Dean John A. Valenza, DDS. “A lot of that wasn’t just what Dr. Powers did at the outset, but certainly what he and his wife, Susan, have done over the last 25 years. In 1999, our first endowment in student research was started by Dr. Powers, and we might not be here today without the support that he and his wife have provided.”

First established as the Houston Biomaterials Research Center in 1994, the Powers Center was created to become a comprehensive research and development center for biomaterials and biomimetics, and a force to increase the scholarship of discovery, integration of knowledge within and between disciplines, teaching, and application.

“The center was established to serve as a focal point for the School of Dentistry to support students and faculty, and attract investigators in biomaterials research,” said John M. Powers, PhD, the center’s founder. “Concurrently, an MS program in Oral Biomaterials was established. The early success of the center is evidenced by the quality of the investigators, many of whom are in the audience today.”

Between 1994 and 2007, 181 papers and 375 abstracts were published by center members. In addition, the Powers Center attracted visiting faculty and scientists from Japan, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, China, South Korea, and Serbia. The Master of Science in Oral Biomaterials program awarded eight degrees from 1997 to 2005 with five trainees as School of Dentistry faculty and one trainee who would eventually become a faculty member.

The Powers Center collaborates with all School of Dentistry departments and focuses on laboratory and clinical research in the areas of oral biomaterials, clinical technology, advanced orthodontics, tissue engineering, oral health prevention, and maxillofacial prosthodontics.

Rade Paravina, DDS, MS, PhD, professor and current director of the Powers Center, outlined the progress of the center in the past 30 years.

“We are very grateful for our leaders because they are all well-known and respected throughout the world,” Paravina said. “In the latest six-year report, there were a total of 107 peer-reviewed publications by our core members, 114 abstracts, 179 professional presentations, 86 CE courses, with faculty receiving 89 honors, thus increasing the visibility of the center and the School of Dentistry.”

In 2024, the Powers Center has also begun a collaboration with the Texas Dental Journal. In each of the 10 annual issues published, the center sponsors “Ask the Powers Center,” a page dedicated to highlighting some recent research findings relevant to the current dental landscape.