The Next Gen Team is an important link between the Osteology Foundation Board and the younger generations. By fostering collaboration, innovation, and education, the team aims to bridge gaps and create meaningful content for those in the early stages of their career in oral tissue regeneration. With its wide range of activities like podcasts, Paper Spotlight, workshops and lectures at events amongst others, the Osteology Foundation’s NextGen Team connects with the younger generations in oral regeneration.

Now the team welcomes Dr. David Tiansui Wu (USA) as a new member. We took the opportunity to ask David about his aspirations and contributions to the team.

What made you apply for the position in the NextGen Team and what is your motivation for contributing to the team?

David: What inspired me to apply was the opportunity to partner with a diverse group of emerging leaders to foster relationships across borders, expand access to discoveries in oral regeneration, promote the exchange of ideas, and encourage the adoption of clinical innovation. Happiness and fulfilment come from a combination of relationships and experiences, and we hope to bring this to the global Osteology community.

What motivates me to contribute to the NextGen Team is our shared mission, vision, and passion for uniting a global community of like-minded clinicians and researchers. We are all committed to advancing oral regeneration to ultimately enhance patient care.

What strengths do you bring to the team?

As the Director of Advanced Graduate Periodontology and a translational scientist at Harvard University, I bring the academic, scientific, and leadership perspective from North America. My goal is to provide insights into strategies that create educational and research opportunities, particularly for early-career professionals in our field. My expertise in tissue engineering, biomaterials, and healthcare innovation will help advance initiatives that support the next generation of researchers and scholars in oral regeneration.

In addition, as a dual board-certified periodontist in the USA and Canada, fluent in English, French, and Chinese, I provide insight into state-of-the-art clinical practice philosophies from North America. This allows our team to collaborate with partners across the world to build clinical education initiatives and connect North America to the global Osteology Community.

What are you looking forward to most as a member of the NextGen Team?

I look forward to building the future of oral regeneration and creating exciting opportunities for our community members to gain knowledge, obtain support for career development, and strengthen relationships. Meeting new friends and colleagues from across the world is an exciting part of this journey. I am especially eager to contribute to the 2026 International Osteology Symposium in Vienna. Hope to see many of you there!

David on stage with the Next Gen Team at the International Osteology Symposium in Barcelona in 2023.