Currently the William and Mary K. Najjar Endowed Professor of Dentistry and Chair of the Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Dr. Purnima Kumar collaborates extensively with the oral healthcare industry to develop therapeutics for microbial modulation. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and actively participates in patient care limited to periodontics and implant surgery. Dr Kumar has authored over 100 papers and book chapters and serves as the Co-Editor of Clinical Advances in Periodontics, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Periodontology, Periodontology 2000, Nature Scientific Reports and Microbiome. She is a member of the Council of Scientific Affairs of the ADA and is their official spokesperson on e-cigarettes and vaping. Dr Kumar also serves on several task forces for women in science, women in surgery and women in STEM, and volunteers for groups that empower women locally and nationally.