Evanthia Lalla, DDS, MS, is a professor of dental medicine in the Division of Periodontics, Section of Oral and Diagnostic Sciences at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in New York. Her work has earned international recognition, and she is the recipient of prestigious awards, including the A. Rizzo Young Investigator Award from the International Association for Dental Research and the B.C. Borgelt Faculty Advisor Award from the American Dental Association. Lalla has published multiple articles in high-impact medical and dental journals and has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad. She can be reached at: el94@cumc.columbia.edu.