Flavia Pirih

Since receiving the AAP Foundation’s Educator Scholarship in 2007, Flavia Q. Pirih, DDS, PhD, has proven that her career was a worthy investment of Foundation resources. Dr. Pirih is currently an Assistant Professor and Pre-doctoral clinic director at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Pirih has served as Ambassador for the AAP Foundation since her residency at the University of Michigan. Dr. Pirih’s main research interest is in periodontal disease initiation, development and peri-implantitis.

Since receiving the Educator Scholarship, Dr. Pirih received the Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, was a finalist for the Balint Orban Research Competition hosted by the American Academy of Periodontology and took first place in the Graduate Student Forum hosted by the Midwest Society of Periodontology.

Dr. Pirih has known that she wanted to be an educator since dental school, and credits her AAP Foundation Scholarship with helping her get there. She says, “If I had not received this award, I probably would not be here right now; I don’t know if I could have done it without the AAP Foundation.” Dr. Pirih’s goal going forward is to stay at the University, do research, educate, and encourage students to get involved in periodontology and become educators themselves.