Suchitra Nelson

Dr. Suchitra Nelson is a Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research at the School of Dental Medicine, and a Professor in the Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences at the School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology and has been at the Case School of Dental Medicine since 1991. Her research focuses on reducing oral health disparities in underserved populations, including low-income children, minorities, and special needs groups. She directs the DMD-Masters in Clinical Research dual-degree program, one of the few such programs nationally.

Education: PhD in Epidemiology (1992), MS in Epidemiology and Nutrition (Case Western Reserve University), BS from the University of Madras (1979).

Research Interests:

• Oral Health Disparities: Focused on preventive interventions for vulnerable populations, including family-level behavioral strategies and community-based clinical trials.
• Early Childhood Caries: Longitudinal studies on very-low-birth-weight infants, enamel defects, and caries mechanisms.
• Oral Health Beliefs: Developing illness perception measures for older adults using the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation.

Key Projects:

• Community-based trials testing xylitol efficacy in dental caries prevention, leading to family-level interventions.
• NIDCR-funded study on oral health outcomes in VLBW infants, tracking enamel defects and caries progression.
• Design of cost-effective interventions targeting Medicaid-enrolled children and older adults.

Awards:

• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2007)
• Mather Spotlight Prize & Woman of Achievement Award (2009)

Grants & Advising:

Her research is funded by NIH, NIDCR, and HRSA. She advises on dual-degree training programs and has led large-scale clinical trials involving multi-state collaborations. Her work integrates dental and medical care, advocating for oral health screening in primary care settings.

Labs/Teams:

Leads interdisciplinary teams at the School of Dental Medicine and collaborates with pediatric and public health researchers on community-based interventions.