Fatemeh Momen-Heravi, DDS, MPH, PhD, MS

Description

  Dr. Momen-Heravi is an Associate Professor at the College of Dental Medicine, a clinician-scientist, a board-certified periodontist, and a member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Momen-Heravi is founder and director of the head and neck cancer research group at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and directs a research program focused on cancer biology and immunology/periodontal disease. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in high-impact journals in basic and translational science and in dentistry. Her contributions to research and her scholarly activity have been nationally and internationally recognized. Dr. Momen-Heravi’s research program is supported by the National Institutes of Health and by several foundations. Dr. Momen-Heravi is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the AACR-The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research ‘Science of the Patient’ award, the Anne D. Haffajee award from the American Association for Dental Research, the Dr. Walter Cohen Teaching Award from the American Academy of Periodontology, the AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery Award, the Balint Orban Memorial Award from American Academy of Periodontology, the IADR Periodontal Research group Past Presidents’ Travel Award, the American Association of Immunologists Award, the Educator Scholarship from the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation, the KL2 Mentored Career Development Award, the Melvin L. Morris Research Fellowship Award, the Translational Therapeutics (TRx) and Accelerating Cancer Therapeutics (ACT) Award, the Kenneth Siegel Award, a Volpe Prize travel Award, the Dr. Paul Tannenbaum and Dr. Robert Schoor Memorial Competition Award from the Northeastern Society of Periodontists, a travel award from Society of Leukocyte Biology, and the Murray Schwartz Scholarship Award in Postdoctoral Periodontics. Dr. Momen-Heravi received her DDS in 2010. She completed several years of fundamental research in molecular biology and immunology at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She received a PhD degree from the University of Westminster, UK, in molecular biology/biotechnology. She also received an MPH degree from Harvard University, with a concentration in quantitative methods and biostatistics. Dr. Momen-Heravi completed a clinical residency and received a Master of Science in Periodontics from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and is a board-certified periodontist.  Dr. Momen-Heravi's laboratory is focused on understanding the interplay between the immune system, tumor microenvironment, and tumors to identify actionable molecular targets for head and neck cancer and other solid tumor treatments. Her lab examines the role of extracellular vesicles/exosomes in metastasis and mediating cellular cross talk, and uses genetic engineering and RNA interferences (RNAi) to modify tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment with the goal of developing novel cancer therapeutics. Her laboratory also explores the role of innate immunity in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and its convergence with diabetes and carcinogenesis using single-cell RNA sequencing and mechanistic studies. Dr. Momen-Heravi takes pride in treating patients and provides service in dental implant surgery and all aspects of oral medicine, periodontics, and periodontal surgical procedures, including soft tissue oral surgeries and bone reconstruction procedures. As the director of an NIH-funded laboratory and researcher in cancer and periodontal disease, Dr. Momen-Heravi is passionate about providing care to cancer patients and has a multi-disciplinary approach to oral health rehabilitation. As a clinician-scientist who studies oral diseases, she is dedicated to educating, preventing, and treating patients with periodontal disease using minimally invasive and surgical approaches. At the very core of her dental practice, Dr. Momen-Heravi’s goal is to provide patients with patient-centric personalized, evidence-based, and attentive dental care.