Vasconcellos Appointed Associate Professor of Operative Dentistry
Adalberto “Bert” Vasconcellos, DDS, MS, PhD, has returned to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry’s Department of Operative Dentistry to begin his appointment as an associate professor. Vasconcellos spent the last two years as a visiting and postdoctoral scholar at UNC School of Dentistry.
“It is an absolute honor and privilege to join the prestigious Department of Operative Dentistry at the top-ranked UNC School of Dentistry,” said Vasconcellos. “My research and clinical philosophy have been indelibly shaped by the knowledge gained from the outstanding clinical and laboratory studies that have been published by the world-renowned UNC Operative Dentistry faculty over the past several decades. The top-selling textbook ‘Sturdevant’s Art and Science of Operative Dentistry’ has had a profoundly positive impact on my academic career. It is, therefore, worth mentioning that I am truly delighted to become a member of this family.”
Vasconcellos earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Rio de Janeiro University, Brazil. He received a certificate and Masters of Science degree in prosthodontics in 1999, and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in operative dentistry in 2001 from the University of São Paulo. He has been teaching operative dentistry for graduate and undergraduate students for more than 20 years, while maintaining a part-time dental practice devoted to esthetic dentistry for more than 16 years. Vasconcellos has been published extensively and has focused on restorative dentistry and dental materials. He is a member of the American Academy of Operative Dentistry and the International Association for Dental Research.
Before joining the faculty at UNC-CH, Vasconcellos served as associate professor of operative dentistry at the Fluminense Federal University School of Dentistry, Nova Friburgo, Brazil, where he was responsible for preclinical and clinical instruction at the predoctoral and graduate level for more than 20 years. He also served as the Dean of the Fluminense Federal University School of Dentistry at Nova Friburgo.
During his two-year appointment as a visiting scholar, Vasconcellos was involved on several research projects in a successful collaboration between the Department of Operative Dentistry and the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the UNC-CH College of Arts and Sciences. He developed several protocols for non-invasive imaging of dental specimens using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).
In his role as associate professor, Vasconcellos will be engaged in preclinical and clinical teaching of operative dentistry. His research includes clinical and laboratory studies in the field of restorative dentistry, with a focus on adhesive and restorative resin-based materials. Additionally, he plans to continue working closely with the Optical Coherence Imaging Lab’s research team at the UNC-CH Department of Physics and Astronomy to explore the clinical application of ultrahigh resolution OCT imaging for real-time longitudinal assess of defects within resin-based restorations and at their marginal interface. He will also participate in the School of Dentistry’s Dental Faculty Practice with a primary focus on general and esthetic dentistry.
“As a full-time faculty member, I am committed to devoting the time and efforts necessary to contribute to the achievement of the UNC Operative Dentistry’s academic goals, working in alignment with the mission, vision and values of the UNC School of Dentistry,” said Vasconcellos.
