The University of Washington’s Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health convened a symposium at the 2025 International Association of Dental and Craniofacial Research (IADR) conference in Barcelona, titled “Creating Research Capacity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” Recognized by the conference organizers as “hot topic research,” the session spotlighted innovative strategies to empower researchers an strengthen oral health infrastructure across diverse regions. The speakers emphasized the need to address systemic barriers and tailor research agendas to local priorities, aligning with the IADR’s mission to advance global health equity.
The symposium featured a panel of experts sharing region-specific experiences. Dr. Arthur Kemoli (University of Nairobi) presented on integrating oral HIV research into Kenya’s health system, underscoring the importance of addressing cultural and structural obstacles to care. Dr. Immaculate Opondo (Maseno University) highlighted the roles played by mentors in her research career and how mentorship in research impacted her career growth, Dr. Waranuch Pitiphat (Khon Kaen University) discussed building a network of over three hundred researchers in Southeast Asia through an NIH-funded training program targeting high-risk populations. Dr. Ana Lucia Seminario (University of Washington) examined how HIV and alcohol use disorders impact oral health in Peruvian men who have sex with men, highlighting how tailored interventions and research infrastructure can meet community needs, and presented an overview of the UW DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health.
The symposium was well-attended and successfully highlighted the need to identify sustainable capacity-building strategies, understand the role of mentorship and collaboration, and evaluate successful case studies for application in other low-resource settings.