EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PROGRAM

Faculty/Staff Program Leadership Team

John D. Rugh - Program Director

John RughDr. John D. Rugh received his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and completed four years of postdoctoral training at Claremont Graduate School before joining the School of Dentistry Faculty at UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry.

His research has focused on the behavioral aspects of oral health and most recently the problems of science transfer and the diffusion of innovation.   He has published in the areas of facial pain, bruxism, bio-behavioral aspects of orthognathic surgery and oral function and aging. His research has included NIH-funded multicenter randomized clinical trials and an ADA-funded science transfer program.  In 1985, he initiated San Antonio’s Student Research Program through a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Training Grant.  Most recently, with the aid of a four-year NIH R25 Education Research Grant, he established a school-wide comprehensive Evidence-Based Practice Program.  This program includes an online searchable Oral Health Library of Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) that serves as a worldwide resource for up-to-date, evidence-based, oral health information for practitioners and the public.  This program received the UT Academy of Health Science Education Innovation 1st Place Award in 2012. More recently, Dr. Rugh received the 2016 award for Evidence-Based Dentistry and Leadership in Implementing EBD bythe American Dental Association and American Association for Dental Research.
Dr. Rugh has held multiple local and national elected leadership positions, including Director of Research for the School of Dentistry from 1991–97, Chair of the Department of Orthodontics 1996-2010 and interim Chair of Community Dentistry from 1983–84.  Under his leadership the Orthodontic Department established it’s orthodontic residency program in 2000.   
Dr. Rugh served as President of the American Association for Dental Research (1994–95) and served a four-year term on the Scientific Advisory Council of the National Institute for Dental Research.  He is an Honorary Member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Orofacial Pain and the San Antonio District Dental Society.  He was the recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Scientist Award in Behavioral Sciences and Health Service Research from the International Association for Dental Research.  In 2007 he was awarded Honorary Fellowship in the American College of Dentists.  He was elected as a member of the University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education in 2012.
Dr. Rugh has edited 4 books, 17 book chapters, 130 scientific articles and over 230 research abstracts.   He is currently funded on an HRSA grant.

Department: Developmental Dentistry/Evidenced-Based Practice Program
Bldg/Rm: UT Health SA-School of Dentistry/4.278R
210-567-6142

rugh@uthscsa.edu