Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer/Oral Oncology Program

Susan Reisine, Ph.D.

Professor

Chair, Division of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health

Dr. Susan Reisine is professor and chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. She also is Associate Dean for Research of the Dental School. Dr. Reisine received a doctorate in sociology from Yale University and has conducted research in both oral health and in other chronic health conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, Sjogren ’s syndrome and asthma. In oral health research, she is best known for her work on the effects of oral health conditions on health related quality of life and factors contributing to early childhood caries.

She was a contributing author to the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health in America and she was a panel member on the NIH Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Management of Caries throughout the Lifetime (2001). Dr. Reisine has received several awards in recognition of her scholarly contributions in oral health and rheumatology, including the Distinguished Scientist Award in the Behavioral Sciences and Health Services Research, International Association for Dental Research (2003), Honorary Membership in Omicron Kappa Upsilon (2002), Alpha Delta Omicron award for research in women’s health (1999) and the Distinguished Scholar Award, Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (1996). She received the University of Connecticut Health Center Board of Directors’ Recognition Award in 2004 for her contributions to the university. She was a Fellow in the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program (1998-99) and served as the Criticism Editor of Oral Health Group in the Cochrane Collaboration (1997-2002).

Dr. Reisine has had extramural funding since 1980 starting with an NICR New Investigator Award (1980-3 and Career development Award (1981-6). She is the author or coauthor of more than 110 peer-reviewed articles or book chapters and more than 75 abstracts. Dr. Reisine has been an active member of the AADR/IADR for 25 years serving as President of the Behavioral Sciences and Health Services Research Group, on the AADR Membership committee, on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Dental Research (1997-2000) and as Treasurer of AADR (1997-2000). She was a member at large of the IADR Board (2000-2004).

Appointments

• Professor
• Chair, Division of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health

Education
Ph.D., Yale University

Honors and Awards

• 2004: University of Connecticut Health Center Board of Directors Faculty Recognition Award
• 2004: Honorable mention, American Public Health Association, Betty J. Cleckley Minority Issues Research Award, Christine G. Unson, Alison Kleppinger, and Susan Reisine, “Self-rated health and healthy aging behaviors of older African-American women”
• 2003: Distinguished Scientist Award in the Behavioral Sciences and Health Services Research, International Association for Dental Research
• 2002: Honorary Member, Omicron Kappa Upsilon
• 1999: Alpha Delta Omicron award for research in women’s health
• 1998-99: Fellow, Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine
• 1996: Distinguished Scholar Award, Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals
• 1975: Prize Teaching Award nominee, Yale University
• 1975-1976: Predoctoral Fellowship Award, Public Health Service Grant
• 1972-1975: Predoctoral Fellowship Award, National Institute of Mental Health, Medical Sociology Training Grant

Selected Publications
Lerner D, Allaire SH, Reisine ST. Work Disability Resulting From Chronic Health Conditions. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 47(3):253-264, 2005.

Reisine S, Morse D, Psoter W, Eisenberg E, Cohen D, Cleveland D, Mohit-Tabatabai M. Sociodemographic risk indicators for depressive symptoms among persons with oral cancer or oral epithelial dysplasia, Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 63:513-20. 2005.

Unson CG, Fortinsky R, Prestwood K, Reisine S. Osteoporosis medications used by older African-American women: effects of socioeconomic status and psychosocial factors. J Community Health. 30:281-97, 2005.

Broder H, Reisine S. The Role of Low Income Fathers in Child-Rearing and Oral Health Practices in an Inner City Environment, J Publ Hlth Dent, 66:138-43, 2006.

Unson C, Litt M, Reisine, S, Shepherd T, Mahoney-Trella P and Prestwood K:. Adherence to calcium and estrogen protocols among diverse older participants enrolled in a clinical trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 27:215-26, 2006.

Reisine S. Depression and Employment among People with Arthritis (invited editorial). J Rheumatology, J Rheumatol. 33:1718-20, 2006.

Reisine S, Fifield J, Walsh S, Dauser D. Work disability among two cohorts of women with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis: A survival analysis, Arthritis Rheum (Arthritis Care Res), 57:372-38, 2007 (PMC: 1853369; NIHMS # 11429).

Meyer J, Warren N, Reisine S. Job control, substantive complexity, and risk for low birth weight and preterm delivery: An analysis from a state birth registry, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 50:664-75, 2007.
Slade G., Reisine S. The Child Oral Health Impact Profile: Current status and future directions. Comm Dent Oral Epidemiol, 35 (S1):50-53, 2007.

Wagner J, Arteaga S, D’Ambrosio J, Hodge C, Ioannidou E, Pfeiffer C, Yong L, Reisine S. Patient S: Instructor Program to Promote Dental Students Communication Skills with Diverse Patients, Journal of Dental Education, 71:1554-60, 2007.

Aseltine RH Jr, Reisine S, Schilling EA, Kennedy J. Dental practice satisfaction with preferred provider organizations. BMC Health Serv Res. 7:184, 2007.

Meyer J, Warren N, Reisine S. Maternal occupation and risk for low birth weight delivery: Assessment using state birth registry data, J Occ Environ Med, 50:306-315, 2008.

Reisine S, Tellez M, Sohn W, Willem J, Ismail A. Relationship between caregiver’s and child’s caries prevalence among disadvantaged African Americans. Comm Dent Oral Epidemiol, 36:191-200, 2008.

Reisine S. Fifield J, Walsh S, Dauser D. Employment and Health Status Changes among Women with Fibromyalgia: A Five-Year Study. Arthr Rheum (Arthr Care Res), in press; submitted to pubmed central; NIHMSID # 57123.

Wagner J, Pfeiffer C, Reisine,ST, Arteaga S, Ioannidou E, D'Ambrosio J, Hodge C. Effects of a Cross-Cultural Patient Instructor Program on Dental Students’ Attitudes Toward Treating Diverse Patients, J Dent Edu, in press.

Sohn W, Taichman LS, Ismail AI, Reisine S. Caregiver’s Perception of Child’s Oral Health Status Among Low-income African Americans, Pediatr Dent, in press.

View more publications, see Pubmed listing.

Research Interests

Clinical Research

• Health disparities, health related quality of life, women’s health

Languages
English