Fulbright brings Nigerian-born dental professor full circle
After receiving a Fulbright Scholarship, one Nigerian-born Penn Dental professor will take his expertise back to his roots.
Penn Dental professor Sunday Akintoye was recently selected as a Fulbright Scholar, as which he will teach and research back in Nigeria for 10 months starting next January.
The Fulbright project will further strengthen Akintoye’s cross-border experiences researching and practicing dentistry.
“This is good timing for me because it’s a time when I can take care of those from African communities, covering teaching and training as well as research,” he said.
Drawn to the United States for its advanced dental research infrastructure and resources, Akintoye will now be able to exercise quality care in his African hometown.
“There is a lot of work to be done in this geographical area," he said.
In a recent interview with the Penn Dental Medicine Journal, Akintoye extended his hope that the project would “act as a bridge to bring American and Nigerian cultures together for the betterment of tomorrow."
Akintoye’s academic interest focuses on basic and translational research on alleviating orofacial complications of cancer therapy, which affect patients' mouths and jaws. He has researched projects supported by the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society.
Aside from his academic interest in dental medicine, Akintoye also finds fulfillment serving as part of Penn’s faculty. Akintoye works as a mentor in the School of Dental Medicine and teaches a variety of undergraduate courses.
“I really enjoy mentoring … It’s very rewarding to see my mentees finishing dental school, go to residence programs and come back to academia,” Akintoye said. He is currently developing a new course on bone biology and spends time regularly practicing dentistry at Penn’s dental clinic.
A Nigerian native, Akintoye was first trained in dentistry at the University of Lagos Dental School, where he graduated in 1980. After practicing dentistry for some time after graduation, he reverted to dental research and pursued his interest in the U.S., earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from New York University's College of Dentistry. He then completed a Master’s degree in oral biology at New York University. Before he joined Penn Dental’s standing faculty in 2003, Akintoye was trained at the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research with an oral medicine and clinical training residency.
“I developed my interest in dental medicine while getting trained in Lagos," Akintoye said. “My passion for dental- and healthcare came naturally as I developed skill sets to care for other people."
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