Education

Faculty Promoted in EIOH’s Pediatric Dentistry Department

Feb. 1, 2024

Associate Professors Erin Shope, DMD, MSM, MSEd (MSEd ’21, MSM ’15, Peds ’12) and Isamar Rivera-Ramos, DMD, PhD (Peds ’16, PhD ’15, GenDen ’14, MS ‘09) have been promoted.

A portrait of Dr. Erin Shope
Dr. Erin Shope

Dr. Shope has been named associate chair, where she will assist Pediatric Dentistry Chair and Associate Professor Cynthia Wong, DMD (Peds ’13, MS ‘15) with expanding the department, focusing on educational innovation and program development.

EIOH faculty since 2012, Dr. Shope also serves as the director of Interdisciplinary Pediatric Dentistry Care, where she helps develop and support collaborations among other clinics within the URMC network, as well as on a statewide, national and international level. In this role, she has led initiatives to improve communication, quality of care, patient outcomes and resident involvement with other University of Rochester Medical Center departments. Dr. Shope is also the EIOH expert on treating infants with cleft lip and palate with nasoalveolar molding and is a member of the UR Medicine Cleft and Craniofacial Team.

Dr. Shope has been instrumental in creating curricular innovations that leverage technology, promote inclusive care and advocacy, and employs an approach that treats the whole child. She has played an integral role in resident recruitment, orientation and evaluation.

A portrait of Dr. Isamar Rivera-Ramos
Dr. Isamar Rivera-Ramos

Dr. Rivera-Ramos has been named program director for the Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program. In her new role, Dr. Rivera-Ramos will manage resident education, resident research and compliance with CODA and University standards. Dr. Rivera-Ramos has served as faculty since 2016 and is also a Diversity and Inclusion officer for EIOH. Previously, she was also the site director at the Eastman Dental clinic at School 17. She has been a leader in teaching residents and treating patients with medically complex conditions and developmental disabilities. Her research interests include oral microbiology, oral health for children with special healthcare needs and social barriers to care.

Dr. Rivera-Ramos has been playing a critical role in making microbiology and basic science research clinically relevant to our residency programs. Her leadership has expanded Eastman Institute’s presence within the community and the medical center. In addition, she has bolstered EIOH’s  relationship with Mary Cariola Center and advocates for continuity in dental care for children with special healthcare needs.

“Both Drs. Shope and Rivera-Ramos are passionate about education and are strong leaders with outstanding skills as clinicians and professors,” said Dr. Wong. “These new appointments will provide us the structure to expand our mission and strengthen our education, community service and clinical excellence.”

This EIOH residency program has again been named the Best Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program in the U.S. by Univeristies.com, holding this accolade since 2022.  

Both Drs. Shope and Rivera-Ramos are board certified pediatric dentists and will begin their new roles in February.