Dear Trojans,
On behalf of the president of the University of Southern California, I am delighted to announce that Yang Chai, DMD, DDS, PhD, will serve as the next dean of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, effective July 1, 2025. He will also be appointed as the G. Donald and Marian James Montgomery Professor of Dentistry.
The Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry includes the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy and the USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, both top-ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
Chai currently serves as interim dean of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry and is a university professor of Dentistry, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.
A clinician-scientist, Chai earned his DMD degree from Peking University School of Stomatology, where he also did his residency training in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Afterward, he completed his DDS and PhD degree in craniofacial biology at USC. He is the holder of the George and MaryLou Boone Chair in Craniofacial Molecular Biology at the University of Southern California. He serves as the director of the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology and associate dean of research at the Ostrow School.
Chai is noted for his research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of craniofacial development and birth defects, which has led to the successful rescue of cleft palate and suture regeneration in craniosynostosis in preclinical studies. He studies stem cells and he and his research team are currently preparing for first-in-human clinical trials using innovative 3D-printed scaffolds combined with stem cells to regenerate tissue for patients who have lost skull bone due to trauma, congenital defects, or disease. With support from the National Institutes of Health, he has built multiple national consortia such as the Center for Denal, Oral, and Craniofacial Tissue and Organ Regeneration (C-DOCTOR, https://c-doctor.org/) and FaceBase, a data resource for researchers (https://www.facebase.org/).
Chai is committed to teaching and patient care, leading the head & neck anatomy course for DDS students, teaching graduate students in craniofacial biology, and practicing dentistry in the Ostrow Faculty Dental Practice. Numerous Chai lab alumni have themselves become distinguished faculty in the United States and INTERNAL abroad, a testament to Chai’s mentorship and strong support for training the next generation of the health care and biomedical research workforces.
Chai is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. He is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a National Academy of Inventors senior member. He has authored more than 180 scientific papers and numerous book chapters, and edited a book titled Craniofacial Development. Chai has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for more than 27 years. His work has earned him multiple awards, including the 2011 International Association of Dental Research Distinguished Scientist Award and 2023 Paul Goldhaber Award from Harvard University School of Dental Medicine.
In addition to being a Trojan himself, Chai is married to Lihua Liu, an associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. Liu earned both her MS and PhD degrees at USC and is the principal investigator and director of the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program based at USC. The couple’s two daughters followed in their footsteps, earning their undergraduate degrees at USC and going on to their doctoral studies at the Keck School of Medicine and Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, respectively.
I would like to thank the chair of the search committee, Steven Giannotta, MD, a professor of neurological surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and members of the search committee for their enthusiastic efforts in reviewing and interviewing a significant number of highly qualified candidates from across the country.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Chai to his new role.
Sincerely,
Steven D. Shapiro
Senior Vice President for Health Affairs