Top Clinician-Scientist Dr. Renato M. Silva to Lead UTHealth Houston SOD

Renato M. Silva, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., an internationally respected clinician-scientist, educator and academic leader, has been selected to serve as dean of UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry (UTHealth Houston SOD), effective September 30, 2026.

Renato M. Silva, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D.

Melina R. Kibbe, M.D., UTHealth Houston President and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair, announced Dr. Silva will serve as the next dean of Texas’ first dental college, succeeding John A. Valenza, D.D.S., who is retiring after nearly four decades of extraordinary service and leadership.

“Dr. Silva will be stepping into this role at an especially exciting time at UTHealth Houston,” said President Kibbe. “As we launch our university-wide strategic planning process and invest in our future, the school of dentistry will play an important role in defining what comes next for interprofessional education, oral health research, community service and patient care. Dr. Silva’s experience, vision and collaborative approach position him well to build on the school’s momentum and help lead it into its next chapter.”

“I am honored to return to UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry and to serve a school with such a distinguished history and such extraordinary potential,” said Dr. Silva. “Having seen the excellence of its people and mission firsthand, I am excited to partner with faculty, staff, students, residents, alumni and university leaders to strengthen education, grow translational research, expand patient-centered clinical care and deepen the school’s service to Houston, Texas and beyond.”

Dr. Silva served on the faculty of UTHealth Houston SOD from 2011 to 2022, including as Professor and Chair of the Department of Endodontics. During that time, he advanced the school’s academic and clinical missions, mentored students and trainees, contributed to the school’s research enterprise and helped strengthen a culture of innovation and excellence.

“Dr. Silva’s career reflects a deep commitment to excellence across education, research, clinical care and service,” said President Kibbe. “He brings to this role a rare combination of scientific distinction, clinical expertise and firsthand knowledge of the school of dentistry’s people, programs and potential.”

Dr. Silva currently serves as Professor, Senior Associate Dean and Chair of the Department of Endodontics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine (Pitt SDM), where he previously began his academic career as an Assistant Professor from 2007 to 2011. Upon appointment, he will be nominated to the William N. Finnegan III Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Dental Sciences endowed professorship.

He is a board-certified endodontist who maintains a faculty practice in endodontics and is widely recognized for work that connects scientific discovery with patient care. His leadership in dental education, translational science, clinical practice and faculty development will be essential as the UTHealth Houston SOD continues to prepare the next generation of oral health professionals while expanding its research and clinical impact.

An internationally trained clinician-scientist, Dr. Silva earned his D.D.S. from University Gama Filho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and completed an endodontic certificate program at University Gama Filho. He received a Ph.D. in oral sciences from the University of São Paulo in Brazil, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in human molecular genetics at the Pitt SDM. He later completed a certificate in endodontics and earned a Master of Science in Endodontics at UTHealth Houston SOD.

Dr. Silva currently serves as a Director and Treasurer of the American Board of Endodontics. He has authored more than 115 peer-reviewed publications in endodontics and human genetics, and his research has received sustained funding from the National Institutes of Health and the American Association of Endodontists Foundation.

Founded in 1905, UTHealth Houston SOD has trained more than 10,000 dentists, dental hygienists and postgraduate specialists. Located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, TX, and embedded in one of the nation’s most comprehensive health science universities, the school offers extraordinary opportunities for collaboration, innovation, discovery and service.

“I am deeply grateful to Dr. Valenza for the strong foundation he has built through his outstanding service to the school of dentistry,” said President Kibbe. “Dr. Silva understands that legacy, and he brings the experience, perspective and collaborative leadership needed to carry the school’s momentum forward.”

Courtesy of UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry

Published on August 12, 2026