Maria Elisa Galarraga-Vinueza

DDS, MSc, PhD

Maria Elisa Galarraga Vinueza (DDS, MSc, PhD) is currently faculty in the Periodontology Program at Harvard University, Boston, USA. She previously served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Prosthodontics, Division of Implant Dentistry, at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, USA (2022–2024). She has also been a Visiting Researcher at the Institute of Biomaterials, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg, Germany. Dr. Galarraga is an international speaker and has received several international awards, including the Osteology Research Scholarship in 2019. As part of her PhD research, she conducted clinical studies in the Department of Oral Surgery at Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.  She is an active member of multiple professional organizations and was appointed Lead Researcher on risk indicators and risk factors for peri-implant diseases for the 2024 Consensus Conference on Peri-implant Diseases, a joint initiative of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) and the Academy of Osseointegration (AO). She received a Special Citation from the American Academy of Periodontology for her contribution to the AAP/AO systematic review, for which she served as lead author. Dr. Galarraga serves on the Research Committee of the Iberoamerican Federation of Periodontology (FIPP) and previously served as a member of the Expert Council of the Osteology Foundation. She has also served as a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) for Geistlich in South America. Additionally, she is an Ad hoc Reviewer for leading journals, including the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, Clinical Oral Investigations, and Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research. Her primary research interests include the development of biomaterials for bone and soft tissue regeneration and the investigation of peri-implant diseases, with a focus on histopathology, etiology, diagnostic technologies, and regenerative approaches. Dr. Galarraga has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed publications in leading international journals, has co-authored five book chapters, and has an h-index of 20.