The American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) has selected Dr. Paula Ortega‑Verdugo, an assistant professor in the UCLA School of Dentistry Section of Public and Population Health, as one of 10 early-career faculty members nationwide for its 2025–26 MIND the Future (Mentoring an Inclusive Network for a Diverse Workforce of the Future) cohort.
Funded by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, MIND the Future seeks to cultivate a pipeline of independent investigators and leaders in dental, oral and craniofacial research through mentoring, networking and sustained support. Each mentee receives multiyear funding and tailored professional development opportunities. This is the third consecutive year a UCLA Dentistry faculty member has been selected for MIND the Future.
Ortega-Verdugo brings her dual training in restorative dentistry and dental public health to the program. Her research focuses on advancing evidence-based minimal-intervention caries care, improving dental care utilization among children and underserved communities, and strengthening the diversity of the dental workforce. Earlier this year, she earned the AADOCR Procter & Gamble Underrepresented Faculty Research Fellowship.
At UCLA Dentistry, Ortega-Verdugo serves as chair of courses in clinical preventive dentistry and quality improvement in dentistry and mentors UCLA’s student chapter of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. She holds diplomate status with the American Board of Dental Public Health.
