The Osteology Foundation
One of a kind in dentistry Interview conducted by My To
The Osteology Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary next year. We took the opportunity to talk to Kristian Tersar, Executive Director of the foundation and a member of the team for many years. He tells us about the beginnings and the development of the foundation and where it stands today. Tell us, Kristian Tersar: how did it all begin? The Osteology Foundation was founded in 2003 by Dr Peter Geistlich, together with Geistlich Pharma and like-minded experts, as an international and independent non-profit organisation. Dr Geistlich wanted the Osteology Foundation to be a platform that focuses on "Linking Science with Practice in Regeneration”, in other words, to promote research and education for the benefit of patients worldwide.
Can you explain how the foundation is organised? The Osteology Foundation Board defines the strategy, sets the objectives and distributes financial resources to the committees. Each Foundation Board member is assigned to one of the two committees: science or education. Furthermore, the Foundation Board elects the members of the Executive Board which is responsible for operations. They review all activities and assure good governance in line with the foundation’s objectives. Our team at the Osteology Office provides the support to implement the projects. A glance at our monthly Osteology News or our social media platforms shows how much we have grown.
And what are the foundation’s objectives and how is this implemented in practice? The foundation is committed to be the most attractive platform for research and education in oral tissue regeneration and all our projects are targeted to reach this goal.
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GEISTLICH NEWS 1-2022
As a partner in research, we have financially supported more than 150 projects since 2004, resulting in more than 225 scientific publications across the entire spectrum of oral tissue regeneration. In addition to this, the Osteology Research Academy is running courses on research design and methodology to support researchers in their daily work. At the same time, we organise scientific education for practitioners in the form of International and National Symposia. The latter ones are organised by our very active National Osteology Groups. We also cooperate with other professional societies to increase our reach and join forces. On top of all that, we provide a platform to connect and exchange scientific knowledge, THE BOX – this is where your global community meets.
Geistlich is the main sponsor of the Osteology Foundation, so how does this impact the foundation’s work? Geistlich Pharma AG and the Osteology Foundation are in a relationship of founder and foundation. But the scientific independence created by its founder is the foundation’s most important asset. Independence is what enables the Osteology Foundation to achieve its outstanding position in the global oral regeneration community. The foundation stands for evidence-based knowledge transfer, without product promotion through the back door.
Photo: Osteology Foundation
Therefore, the Osteology Foundation is committed to follow the visions of Dr Peter Geistlich, a true philanthropist, who significantly shaped regenerative dentistry with his independent thinking and charisma. He always said: «The Osteology Foundation aims to be a guarantee for the advancement of evidence-based knowledge and to promote the continuing education of specialists as well as practitioners.»
