2026 AAP Award Honorees 

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is proud to announce the 2026 award recipients, a distinguished group of professionals who have made a lasting impact on the field of periodontics. These individuals have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation, and leadership in advancing oral health. Their achievements will be celebrated at a special ceremony on Friday, Oct. 30 during the AAP’s 112th Annual Meeting in Seattle. 

Master Clinician Award- Robert A. Levine, DDS 

Sponsored by HuFriedyGroup 

Dr. Levine maintained a full-time private practice in Philadelphia for close to 40 years. He graduated from Temple University School of Dentistry and received his post-graduate certificate in Periodontics from the University of Pennsylvania. He retains post-graduate clinical teaching positions at Temple University (Philadelphia), UNC (Chapel Hill), UIC (Chicago), and University of Pittsburgh. He has also been a visiting professor at over 35 post-graduate programs (Perio, Pros, AEGD) teaching, mentoring, and sharing his clinical “wisdom” in periodontics and dental implants. 

Dr. Levine is a Diplomate of the ABP, President, and Fellow of the International Society of Periodontal Plastic Surgeons, and a Fellow, Diplomate, and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Academy of Osseointegration (AO). He organizes and leads the AO “Hot Seat” Live Podcasts which is streamed on YouTube. Dr. Levine is a Fellow of the International Team for Implantology (ITI) and presently serves as the US ITI Section Chair (2024-2026). He has authored over 100 scientific publications and has participated in four International Team for Implantology (ITI) and three Academy of Osseointegration (AO) Consensus Conferences including the 1st Global Consensus on Clinical Guidelines in Boston in 2025. In 2026, Dr. Levine is honored to receive the prestigious “Master Clinician Award” from the AAP Board of Trustees, at their annual meeting in Seattle, WA. 

Distinguished Scientist Award & Outstanding Periodontal Educator Award- Michael S. Reddy, DMD  

Distinguished Scientist Award Sponsored by Crest + Oral-B 

Dr. Reddy is an educator, clinician and researcher currently serving as dean and professor at UC San Francisco School of Dentistry and associate vice chancellor of Oral Health Affairs at UCSF. He is responsible for advancing UCSF Dentistry’s education, patient care and research missions with the fundamental goal of improving oral and craniofacial health worldwide. With the help of 489 paid and volunteer faculty, 512 learners, 453 staff, and numerous partner organizations, Dr. Reddy works to ensure that the school remains a globally recognized innovator in healthcare. A periodontist by training, he also served as dean of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry for nearly seven years prior to joining UCSF in June 2018. 

His clinical expertise is in periodontal therapy and dental implants. Dr. Reddy has served as an examiner for the American Board of Periodontology, Associate Editor of the Journal of Periodontology and Editor of Clinical Advances in Periodontics. He is currently the editor of the Journal of Dental Education. 

Dr. Reddy has had NIH funding for more than 25 years and has been awarded more than 60 grants as an investigator or co-investigator. His research interests include regenerative medicine and the interaction of oral health with overall health and disease. 

Distinguished Service Award- Christopher R Richardson, DMD, MS 

Chris R. Richardson, DMD, MS has served the Richmond, Virginia, community for over 28 years in private practice, as a volunteer for his local free dental clinic, and as an adjunct clinical professor in the Graduate Periodontics Clinic at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry where he is a former recipient of the AAP Educator Award at VCU. Dr. Richardson is a Board-Certified Periodontist by the American Board of Periodontology and has served in numerous leadership roles in his local, state, regional and national organizations. He is a Past President of the Richmond Dental Society and the Southern Academy of Periodontology. He is currently the President of the AAP Foundation and is a Past President of the American Academy of Periodontology. He has served on and chaired a number of committees for both the AAP and AAP Foundation. Dr. Richardson serves as a Board Examiner for the American Board of Periodontology and as a reviewer for Clinical Advances in Periodontics. He maintains an active membership in the American Academy of Periodontology, the Academy of Osseointegration, the American Dental Association, the Southern Academy of Periodontology, the Virginia Dental Association, and the Richmond Dental Society. He is a former AAP Kramer Award recipient, a Fellow of the Virginia Dental Association, the International College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the American College of Dentists. He received the AAP Clinical Research Award and an AAP Special Citation, and is a recipient of the Harry Lyons Award from the Richmond Dental Society. He has lectured for his local dental community, nationally and internationally, and has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals. Finally, he is a member of the McGuire Institute focusing on private practice based clinical research and has spent the past three years Co-chairing the AAP Foundation for the Future Campaign. 

Special Citations 

Special Citations are awarded to individuals for a specific contribution to the Academy. The citation is awarded for outstanding work on an Academy committee or special project. 

AAP Periodontal Literature Reference List Workgroup 

• Philip Kang, Chair
• Srinivas Ayilavarapu
• Monica Prasad Gibson
• Yoon Jeong Kim
• Pin-Chuang Lai
• Guo-Hao Lin
• Carlos Parra
• Elio Reyes Rosales
• Arif Salman
• Harlan J. Shiau
• Sejal R. Thacker
• Srinivas Rao Myneni Venkatasatya

AAP Animation Workgroup 

• Satish S. Kumar, Chair
• Jennifer L. Bain
• Clark Chen
• Alon Frydman
• Alex Gillone
• Lea Hachem
• Kian Kar
• Erin Lee

AAP Clinical Research Award 

The Clinical Research Award is presented to the most outstanding scientific published article with direct clinical relevance in periodontics. The paper should present new information which may be readily used by practitioners in the evaluation and/or management of patients with periodontal diseases.  

For their article, “P. Ridge dimensional changes and implant stability utilizing the osseodensification protocol: A randomized clinical trial,” the Academy recognizes Drs.: 

• Aziz Saqr, Lead Author
• Srinivas Ayilavarapu
• Kavan Gandhi
• Chun-Teh Lee
• Popi Stylianou

R. Earl Robinson Periodontal Regeneration Award 

This award is made possible by a generous contribution to the AAP Foundation from the estate of R. Earl Robinson. 

The R. Earl Robinson Regeneration Award was established by Dr. R. Earl Robinson (1922-1995) to encourage research in periodontal regeneration. It is presented to the author(s) of the peer-reviewed published paper that has contributed most to the knowledge of periodontal regeneration in a given calendar year. The research work can be either in the basic or clinical sciences.  

For their article, “Crosslinked versus non-crosslinked resorbable collagen membranes for periodontal regeneration: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority clinical trial,” the Academy recognizes Drs.: 

• Yiwei Wang, Lead Author
• Fuhua Yan
• Lili Chen
• Lei Zhao
• Mo Liu
• Shaohua Ge
• Chia-Yu (Jennifer) Chen
• David M. Kim
• Rong Shu