Dental School Associate Dean Vesa Kaartinen elected to prestigious national science association

Ann Arbor, Mich., March 26, 2026 – Vesa M. Kaartinen, Associate Dean for Research at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, has been elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Professor Kaartinen is one of 15 U-M faculty members among the 449 scientists, engineers and innovators who have been elected as 2025 AAAS Fellows, the association announced Thursday. Fellows are recognized for their achievements across disciplines – in research, teaching, technology, academic administration, industry, government, and communicating and interpreting science to the public.

Kaartinen was cited for distinguished contributions to the field of craniofacial and cardiac development, particularly in TGF-beta/BMP signaling and gene targeting approaches to understand birth defects in human newborns.

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Kaartinen received his MSc (1986) and Ph.D. (1991) degrees from the university of Kuopio, Finland, studying the molecular bases of a lysosomal storage disease, aspartylglucosaminuria. He then began a postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he specialized in developmental biology with particular emphasis on mouse genetics and organogenesis. In 1997, he joined the faculty of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, and the Developmental Biology Program in the Saban Research Institute. In 2008, he joined the U-M School of Dentistry faculty, and in 2014 he was promoted to full professor. He was named Associate Dean for Research in 2019 after previously serving as director of the school’s Oral Health Sciences/PhD program.  He has served in several institutional and national committees, including both NIH and American Heart Association grant review panels, and he is a reviewer for many scientific journals.

In his role as associate dean for research, Kaartinen serves as the liaison to the University Office of the Vice President for Research, as well as the liaison between the Rackham School of Graduate Studies and the dental school for research training-related policies, guidelines and postdoctoral support. Additionally, the role assists department chairs in faculty recruitment; advises on resources necessary to maintain a top tier research and research training infrastructure and culture; identifies and explores funding mechanisms to support research; and works with other schools and units to explore research collaboration opportunities for faculty.

The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Becoming a AAAS Fellow is among the most distinct honors within the scientific community, and those elevated to the rank have made distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Fellows are elected by the AAAS Council. AAAS Fellows play a crucial role in shaping public policy, advancing scientific research, and influencing national and global perspectives on critical issues. Becoming a AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor, which comes with an expectation that recipients maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity

The new class will be featured in the AAAS News & Notes section of Science magazine in April 2026. Fellows have been invited to the annual Fellows Forum, which will be held in 
Washington, D.C., on May 29, 2026.

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The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral healthcare education, research, patient care and community service.  General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the school to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan.  Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia and public agencies.  Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide.  For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit us on the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.  Email: [email protected], or (734) 615-1971.