People

Steven Silverstein, DMD

Principal Investigator and Project Director
Department of Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences

Dr. Silverstein is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California School of Dentistry, San Francisco California. He obtained his dental degree from the University of Kentucky School of Dentistry and his MPH from the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Silverstein is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health.

Baharak Amanzadeh, DDS

Care Coordination and Sustainability Specialist
Department of Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences

Lisa Berens, DDS, MPH

School Oral Health Program
Department of Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences
School-based Programs

Dr. Berens graduated dental school at University of California at San Francisco, School of Dentistry (UCSF) and obtained her Masters in Public Health (MPH) at University of California Berkeley. She completed a residency in Dental Public Health at UCSF and is a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health. She has been researching the implementation of an oral health promotion intervention for pregnant women attending group prenatal care. These studies are supported by the NIH/NIDCR and the UCSF Center to Address Disparities in Children's Oral Health (CAN DO).

Benjamin Chaffee, DDS, MPH, PhD

Tobacco Cessation
UCSF Division of Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health
Tobacco Cessation

Dr. Chaffee's research interests include tobacco-related behaviors and decision making among adolescents. He is the lead investigator of a study of California rural high school students funded through the NIH/FDA Tobacco Regulatory Science program. Other research interests include children’s oral health and dental caries management. He directs the UCSF School of Dentistry Program in Global Oral Health.

Elizabeth Couch, RDH, MS

Tobacco Cessation
Department of Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences
Tobacco Cessation

Elizabeth’s research interest include tobacco use in vulnerable populations and the role of dental professionals in tobacco prevention and cessation. Currently, she teaches in the Master of Science in Dental Hygiene program at UCSF, and is the project coordinator of a longitudinal study of tobacco use among California rural adolescents. In addition, she is a tobacco treatment specialist (TTS) and practices dental hygiene part time, where she is dedicated to addressing tobacco use among her patients.

Kristin Hoeft, PhD, MPH

Education/Focus Groups
Department of Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences
Education & Focus Groups

Dr. Hoeft has expertise in health education, dental health communication and qualitative research methods. She focuses on making optimal home hygiene and dental care experiences accessible to diverse and vulnerable populations. Her role on this project is to provide technical assistance to local health departments doing their oral health assessments, and to ensure that all materials are easy to read and understand.

Cristin Kearns, DDS, MBA

Rethink Your Drink
Department of Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences

Dr. Kearns is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Francisco with a joint appointment in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, Division of Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies.

Keiko Miyahara, MS

School Oral Health Program
[email protected]
415-502-5075
School-Based/School-Linked & Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Specialist

School-based Kindergarten Specialist Keiko Miyahara, RDH, MS, is a graduate of UCSF School of Dentistry Master of Science in Dental Hygiene program.She is part of the California Oral Health Technical Assistance Center, promoting oral health in California school children through kindergarten oral health assessment and school-based/linked programs.

Howard Pollick, BDS, MPH

Recall Faculty
Department of Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences
Community Water Fluoridation

Dr. Howard Pollick is a health sciences clinical professor and former director of the accredited dental public health residency program, Department of Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry at the University of California San Francisco. He earned his BDS from Manchester, England and his MPH from UC Berkeley. 

Dr. Pollick has lectured and published extensively on the benefits and safety of community water fluoridation in California, nationally and internationally. 

Nancy Rios

Administrative Officer - Analyst
[email protected]
O: 415-514-3155
C: 415-999-7374
PRDS

As a graduate of The Ohio State University, with an MBA (Masters of Business Administration) in General Management and Finance, Nancy manages the day to day operations of the center and the communication flow to the local oral health programs (LOHP). Nancy has been an Analyst for UCSF for the last 7 years.  

Marjorie Stocks

Project Policy Analyst 3
[email protected]

Community Water Fluoridation
Marjorie Stocks, MPH, directed the California Fluoridation Implementation Project, a statewide endeavor funded by a $15 million award from The California Endowment, through which she assisted over 10 California communities in implementing fluoridation including Sacramento, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.